Where is that Storm chaser dude ?

[wxman]

WxMan is in the UK and does not want a date with Sandy!

Mark my words....

Sandy will NOT be a hurrcane at landfall and will be extra tropical by the time she makes landfall - this was totally apprent on Friday - hence why I did not even consider an intercept. Total media over hype.

FYI: I have been contacted by all the usual UK news + radio channels asking for comment - none of which wanted to run my thoughts on Sandy (I guess becasue it does not sell copy etc)

[d000hg]

I find the idea of a tropical storm leading to snowfall a little weird.

[wxman]

Never dought the WxMan

From the National Hurricane Centre

WATER VAPOR IMAGERY INDICATES THAT
SANDY IS BECOMING ABSORBED WITHIN A LARGE MID-LATITUDE CYCLONIC
CIRCULATION. ALL OF THESE CONSIDERATIONS LEAD US TO CONCLUDE THAT
THE MOST APPROPRIATE CLASSIFICATION AT ADVISORY TIME IS
EXTRATROPICAL.

[NickFitz]

Never dought the WxMan

From the National Hurricane Centre

WATER VAPOR IMAGERY INDICATES THAT
SANDY IS BECOMING ABSORBED WITHIN A LARGE MID-LATITUDE CYCLONIC
CIRCULATION. ALL OF THESE CONSIDERATIONS LEAD US TO CONCLUDE THAT
THE MOST APPROPRIATE CLASSIFICATION AT ADVISORY TIME IS
EXTRATROPICAL.

Meanwhile, the same old photos of supercell thunderstorms and Photoshop hacks are being posted liberally across Twitter and Facebook. Here's a site debunking them: Is Twitter Wrong? - Is that really a picture of Hurricane Sandy descending on New York?

[EternalOptimist]

the latest advisory



BULLETIN
HURRICANE SANDY ADVISORY NUMBER 30
NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL182012
500 PM EDT MON OCT 29 2012

...SANDY MOVING QUICKLY TOWARD SOUTHERN NEW JERSEY AND DELAWARE...
...LANDFALL EXPECTED EARLY THIS EVENING ACCOMPANIED BY
LIFE-THREATENING STORM SURGE AND HURRICANE-FORCE WINDS...

SUMMARY OF 500 PM EDT...2100 UTC...INFORMATION
----------------------------------------------
LOCATION...38.8N 74.4W
ABOUT 30 MI...45 KM ESE OF CAPE MAY NEW JERSEY
ABOUT 40 MI...65 KM S OF ATLANTIC CITY NEW JERSEY
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...90 MPH...150 KM/H
PRESENT MOVEMENT...WNW OR 300 DEGREES AT 28 MPH...44 KM/H
MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...940 MB...27.76 INCHES

WATCHES AND WARNINGS
--------------------
CHANGES WITH THIS ADVISORY...

ALL TROPICAL STORM WARNINGS FOR EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA HAVE BEEN
DISCONTINUED.

SUMMARY OF WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN EFFECT...

THERE ARE NO COASTAL TROPICAL CYCLONE WARNINGS IN EFFECT.

HOWEVER...THERE ARE NON-TROPICAL HIGH-WIND WARNINGS IN EFFECT FOR
PORTIONS OF THE MID-ATLANTIC AND NEW ENGLAND STATES. PLEASE SEE
STATEMENTS FROM LOCAL NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST OFFICES.

HURRICANE-FORCE WINDS ARE EXPECTED ALONG PORTIONS OF THE COAST
BETWEEN CHINCOTEAGUE VIRGINIA AND CHATHAM MASSACHUSETTS. THIS
INCLUDES THE TIDAL POTOMAC FROM COBB ISLAND TO SMITH POINT...THE
MIDDLE AND UPPER CHESAPEAKE BAY...DELAWARE BAY...AND THE COASTS OF
THE NORTHERN DELMARVA PENINSULA...NEW JERSEY...THE NEW YORK CITY
AREA...LONG ISLAND...CONNECTICUT...AND RHODE ISLAND.

TROPICAL-STORM-FORCE WINDS ARE EXPECTED NORTH OF CHATHAM TO
MERRIMACK RIVER MASSACHUSETTS...THE LOWER CHESAPEAKE BAY...AND
SOUTH OF CHINCOTEAGUE TO EXTREME NORTHEASTERN NORTH CAROLINA.

FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA...INCLUDING POSSIBLE
INLAND WATCHES AND WARNINGS...PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED BY
YOUR LOCAL NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST OFFICE.

DISCUSSION AND 48-HOUR OUTLOOK
------------------------------
AT 500 PM EDT...2100 UTC...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE SANDY WAS LOCATED
BY AN AIR FORCE RESERVE HURRICANE HUNTER AIRCRAFT AND NOAA DOPPLER
WEATHER RADARS TO BE NEAR LATITUDE 38.8 NORTH...LONGITUDE 74.4 WEST.
SANDY IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 28 MPH...44 KM/H.
THIS GENERAL MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE THROUGH THIS EVENING
UNTIL LANDFALL OCCURS. ON THE FORECAST TRACK...THE CENTER OF SANDY
IS EXPECTED TO MAKE LANDFALL ALONG OR JUST SOUTH OF THE SOUTHERN
NEW JERSEY COAST WITHIN THE NEXT FEW HOURS.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 90 MPH...150 KM/H...WITH HIGHER
GUSTS. SANDY IS EXPECTED TO TRANSITION INTO A FRONTAL OR WINTERTIME
LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM SHORTLY. LITTLE CHANGE IN STRENGTH IS EXPECTED
PRIOR TO LANDFALL. SANDY IS FORECAST TO WEAKEN AFTER LANDFALL.

HURRICANE-FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 175 MILES...280 KM...FROM
THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL-STORM-FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO
485 MILES...780 KM. SUSTAINED WINDS TO TROPICAL STORM FORCE ARE
OCCURRING FROM SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND THROUGH LONG ISLAND AND LONG
ISLAND SOUND...AND SOUTHWARD ALONG THE COASTS OF NEW JERSEY...
DELAWARE...AND EASTERN VIRGINIA...AND INCLUDING ALL OF THE
CHESAPEAKE AND DELAWARE BAYS. HURRICANE-FORCE WIND GUSTS HAVE BEEN
REPORTED BY HAM RADIO OPERATORS ACROSS PORTIONS OF EXTREME
SOUTHEASTERN MASSACHUSETTS AND RHODE ISLAND. A HAM RADIO OPERATOR
RECENTLY REPORTED A SUSTAINED WIND OF 64 MPH...103 KM/H...WITH GUST
TO 86 MPH...138 KM/H IN WESTERLY RHODE ISLAND...AND ANOTHER HAM
RADIO OPERATOR REPORTED A WIND GUST TO 76 MPH...122 KM/H IN
BARNSTABLE MASSACHUSETTS.

THE ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE BASED ON REPORTS FROM THE
HURRICANE HUNTER AIRCRAFT IS 940 MB...27.76 INCHES.

HAZARDS AFFECTING LAND
----------------------
WIND...TROPICAL-STORM-FORCE WINDS ARE ALREADY OCCURRING OVER
PORTIONS OF THE MID-ATLANTIC STATES FROM NORTH CAROLINA NORTHWARD
TO SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND. GALE-FORCE WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE
TO SPREAD OVER OTHER PORTIONS OF THE MID-ATLANTIC STATES OVER THE
NEXT COUPLE OF HOURS. HURRICANE-FORCE WIND GUSTS HAVE REACHED THE
SOUTHERN MASSACHUSETTS AND RHODE ISLAND. HURRICANE-FORCE WINDS ARE
EXPECTED TO GRADUALLY SPREAD ACROSS SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND AND
MID-ATLANTIC STATES...FROM CONNECTICUT SOUTHWARD TO NEW JERSEY AND
DELAWARE...INCLUDING NEW YORK CITY AND LONG ISLAND.

IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT WINDS AFFECTING THE UPPER FLOORS OF
HIGH-RISE BUILDINGS WILL BE SIGNIFICANTLY STRONGER THAN THOSE NEAR
GROUND LEVEL.

STORM SURGE...THE COMBINATION OF AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS STORM SURGE
AND THE TIDE WILL CAUSE NORMALLY DRY AREAS NEAR THE COAST TO BE
FLOODED BY RISING WATERS. THE WATER COULD REACH THE FOLLOWING
DEPTHS ABOVE GROUND IF THE PEAK SURGE OCCURS AT THE TIME OF HIGH
TIDE...

NC NORTH OF SURF CITY INCLUDING PAMLICO/ALBEMARLE SOUNDS...3 TO 5 FT
SE VA AND DELMARVA INCLUDING LOWER CHESAPEAKE BAY...2 TO 4 FT
UPPER AND MIDDLE CHESAPEAKE BAY...1 TO 3 FT
LONG ISLAND SOUND...RARITAN BAY...AND NEW YORK HARBOR...6 TO 11 FT
ELSEWHERE FROM OCEAN CITY MD TO THE CT/RI BORDER...4 TO 8 FT
CT/RI BORDER TO THE SOUTH SHORE OF CAPE COD INCLUDING BUZZARDS
BAY AND NARRAGANSETT BAY...3 TO 6 FT
CAPE COD TO THE MA/NH BORDER INCLUDING CAPE COD BAY...2 TO 4 FT
MA/NH BORDER TO THE U.S./CANADA BORDER...1 TO 3 FT

SURGE-RELATED FLOODING DEPENDS ON THE RELATIVE TIMING OF THE SURGE
AND THE TIDAL CYCLE...AND CAN VARY GREATLY OVER SHORT DISTANCES.
GIVEN THE LARGE WIND FIELD ASSOCIATED WITH SANDY...ELEVATED WATER
LEVELS COULD SPAN MULTIPLE TIDE CYCLES RESULTING IN REPEATED AND
EXTENDED PERIODS OF COASTAL AND BAYSIDE FLOODING. IN ADDITION...
ELEVATED WATERS COULD OCCUR FAR REMOVED FROM THE CENTER OF SANDY.
FURTHERMORE...THESE CONDITIONS WILL OCCUR REGARDLESS OF WHETHER
SANDY IS A TROPICAL OR POST-TROPICAL CYCLONE. FOR INFORMATION
SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA...PLEASE SEE PRODUCTS ISSUED BY YOUR LOCAL
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE.

RAINFALL...RAINFALL TOTALS OF 3 TO 6 INCHES ARE EXPECTED OVER FAR
NORTHEASTERN NORTH CAROLINA WITH ISOLATED MAXIMUM TOTALS OF 8
INCHES POSSIBLE. RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 4 TO 8 INCHES ARE EXPECTED
OVER PORTIONS OF THE MID ATLANTIC STATES...INCLUDING THE DELMARVA
PENINSULA...WITH ISOLATED MAXIMUM AMOUNTS OF 12 INCHES POSSIBLE.
RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 3 INCHES WITH ISOLATED MAXIMUM AMOUNTS OF
5 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE FROM THE SOUTHERN TIER OF NEW YORK STATE
NORTHEASTWARD THROUGH NEW ENGLAND.

SNOWFALL..SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 2 TO 3 FEET ARE EXPECTED IN THE
MOUNTAINS OF WEST VIRGINIA WITH LOCALLY HIGHER TOTALS TODAY THROUGH
WEDNESDAY. SNOWFALL OF 1 TO 2 FEET IS EXPECTED IN THE MOUNTAINS OF
SOUTHWESTERN VIRGINIA TO THE KENTUCKY BORDER...WITH 12 TO 18 INCHES
OF SNOW EXPECTED IN THE MOUNTAINS NEAR THE NORTH CAROLINA/TENNESSEE
BORDER AND IN THE MOUNTAINS OF WESTERN MARYLAND.

SURF...DANGEROUS SURF CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE FROM FLORIDA THROUGH
NEW ENGLAND FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS.

NEXT ADVISORY
-------------
NEXT COMPLETE ADVISORY...1100 PM EDT.
TROPICAL CYCLONE UPDATES WILL BE ISSUED AT 700 AND 900 PM EDT...AND
WHEN LANDFALL OCCURS.

[Bunk]

Meanwhile, the same old photos of supercell thunderstorms and Photoshop hacks are being posted liberally across Twitter and Facebook. Here's a site debunking them: Is Twitter Wrong? - Is that really a picture of Hurricane Sandy descending on New York?

My favourite one

[NickFitz]

My favourite one

Lower Manhattan is out of power. Some chap tweeted that the water was heading for transformers near the Williamsburg Bridge and there was a big flash; then the lights went out

UPDATE: in case you were wondering what it looks like when Wall Street's power supply explodes, here's a video:

That's at E14th and FDR. Or rather, it was.

[Sysman]

[EternalOptimist]

Downgraded to Tropical Storm Sandy as soon as it made landfall.

windpeeds 50 knots, about 2/3 of that required for hurricane status.

most of the damage appears to be flooding, not wind related. The flooding has been made much worse due to the new moon

[NickFitz]

The flooding has been made much worse due to the new moon

Strange, it's a full moon at the moment round my way. Must be the time difference