Extended Abstract (3.8M)12D.7
The double transition of Hurricane Michael(2000): Baroclinic to tropical to baroclinic
Lance F. Bosart, University at Albany/SUNY, Albany, NY; and P. G. Black, J. L. Evans, J. E. Molinari, C. S. Velden, and M. J. Dickinson
Hurricane Michael (2000) was noteworthy for a double transformation. Storm development was initiated well east of Florida in a sheared environment as a potential vorticity (PV) maximum crossed the Atlantic coast and began to interact with a remnant baroclinic zone from an earlier frontal passage. Subsequent storm intensification resembled ordinary baroclinic development. The first transformation to a warm-core system occurred as the vertical wind shear lessened and deep convection formed near the low-level circulation center. Michael intensified to hurricane strength as it accelerated northeastward. A second transformation occurred as Michael extratropical transition as it reached Newfoundland where widespread heavy rains and high winds were reported.
The life cycle of Hurricane Michael will be examined from a PV perspective over a 10-day period to help illustrate the multiple tropical and middle latitude interactions that characterized this event. The life cycle of Michael will be compared to a null event that occurred one week later in almost the same location. In the latter case, a storm formed by ordinary baroclinic development but failed to transition into a tropical storm. Time permitting, further comparison will be made to selected storms from 2001 as several of these storms exhibited "anomalous" behavior like Michael (2000).
Session 12D, tropical cyclone extratropical transition (Parallel with Sessions 12A, 12B, and 12C)
Thursday, 2 May 2002, 8:30 AM-10:30 AM
Previous paper Next paper