East coast to see tropical weather

Sunday Update from The Weather Channel:

The center of T. S. Gabrielle (50 mph) is crossing Pamlico Sound in North Carolina now, but is producing only minimal effects as it swirls northward. At 2 p.m. EDT, the center of Gabrielle was located about 45 miles WNW of Cape Hatteras.

Tropical storm warnings remain posted from Surf City, North Carolina, to Cape Charles Light, Virginia, including the Albemarle and Pamlico Sounds.

A tropical storm watch extends north of the warning area, from Cape Charles Light, Virginia, to New Point Comfort, Virginia, in the southern Chesapeake Bay.

Waves of 8 to 10 feet will roll into the Outer Banks this afternoon. Surge should not be more than one to two feet, however. Some minor beach erosion may occur.

Locally heavy rainfall, 1 to 3 inches, could soak the Outer Banks later today and tonight.

Overall, the effects from Gabrielle are expected to remain minimal.

Saturday night UPDATE: As best as I can understand the discussion from the NHC, Gabrielle has essentially lost the defined center low of the storm due to the some strong thunderstorm bursts. Now she is over the Gulfstream and the wind shear is dying sown so some strengthening is expected. The predictions indicate that Gabrielle will strengthen to about 45 knots windspeed and then dissipate in a about 4 days. Once the storm makes the turn back out to sea, her forward speed is expected to pick up rapidly and Gabrielle will be up by the Canadian maritime provinces by early to mid week.

From Breitbart.com:

MIAMI (AP) - Subtropical Storm Gabrielle formed Friday off the southeast U.S. coast, and a tropical storm watch was issued for portions of the South Carolina and North Carolina coast.

At 11 p.m, Gabrielle had top sustained winds near 45 mph and was centered about 385 miles southeast of Cape Lookout, N.C., the National Hurricane Center said. It was moving west northwest near 10 mph and was expected to continue along the same path during the next 24 hours.

A tropical storm watch was issued for portions of the South Carolina and North Carolina coast from Edisto Beach northward to Oregon Inlet, including Pamlico Sound. A tropical storm watch means that tropical storm conditions are possible within the watch area within the next 36 hours.

This morning Gabrielle is still a subtropical storm, meaning (I think) that there is no clear circulation or cyclonic action around a defined eye. The NHC says that satellite observations show that "a curved convection band is now located closer to the center of circulation ocer the northern and western quadrants...which could be an indication that Gabrielle is gradually acquiring tropical characteristics."

The current projected path indicates that Gabrielle will pass over the eastern end of the Carolinas and then return back to sea. There is a slight chance that the storm could hug the coast up the northeast but if it does it will be as a low pressure system with below tropical winds.

The southeastern US has been dry this summer so this storm should provide some beneficial rain to the region.

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