Tropical Storm Cristobal became the Atlantic Hurricane Season’s third named storm and has already produced damaging and deadly flooding in Central America. The system’s center emerged over water and quickly returned to tropical storm strength. Due to the storm’s location and characteristics, preparations were swiftly coordinated with the National Hurricane Center, Environmental Modeling Center, and Aircraft Operations Center to investigate the atmospheric conditions ahead of its expected track using NOAA reconnaissance aircraft. While Cristobal is expected to move over warm ocean water, numerical models indicate that dry mid-level air and southwesterly shear may inhibit intensification. This gives reason for further atmospheric observations. Thus, NOAA’s P-3 Hurricane Hunters have been tasked to collect measurements surveying the region ahead and to the west of the storm, flying at higher altitudes than usual in order to obtain additional vertical thermodynamic and wind information from their dropsonde measurements. NOAA43 Miss Piggy took off today from Lakeland, FL at 4PM on an EMC-tasked mission to release 21 dropsondes in a lawnmower pattern to investigate Tropical Storm Cristobal. This mission was supported by 3 HRD ground scientists. A follow-on mission is expected 4PM Saturday.
>> Scientist K. Ryan
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