I owe my career to a tropical storm so forgive me for sharing a few eye-opening nuggets about Melissa. It tied for the most intense landfalling Atlantic hurricane on record. It was a Category 5 storm for 36 hours and the latest Category 5 on record in the Atlantic.
Hurricane hunter aircraft release dropsondes into storms, small instruments on parachutes that descend from the turboprop to the ocean surface. One observation showed winds of 252 mph, which would be a record.
A joint venture of the U.S. Air Force, the National Hurricane Center and NOAA, these flights gather time- sensitive data to improve weather model forecast accuracy. At least one flight returned early due to extreme turbulence and concerns about the structural integrity of the aircraft. These men and women aren’t being paid, due to the ongoing federal government shutdown.
Sprinkles arrive Thursday with more numerous Halloween showers. I know, lousy timing. 40s for trick-or-treating. Long range models show Pacific air, maybe 60s by mid-November? It will eventually snow, but no time soon.
