Posted on 05/27/2018 6:55:38 AM PDT by BBell
Friday morning, the National Hurricane Center in Miami issued a statement announcing the first named storm of the 2018 Atlantic Basin Hurricane Season. Subtropical Storm Alberto had formed in the northeastern Caribbean, just off the coast of Cozumel, Mexico. Most of us are familiar with the term “Tropical” storm. But what exactly is a “Sub”tropical storm?
A subtropical storm is actually a hybrid of an extratropical storm, and a tropical storm. So we’ll identify all three types of storms.
EXTRA-TROPICAL STORM
An extratropical storm has a cold core at its central point. It is often associated with frontal zones, such as warm fronts and cold fronts. These fronts are essentially lines marking areas of different temperatures and dew points. For example, air masses to the east of a cold front are warm and moist compared to cooler and drier air behind the cold front. We see these kind of systems regularly on the U.S. mainland. They drive our daily weather patterns. These are mid-latitude storm systems, usually forming between 30 and 60 degrees latitude. They produce most of the weather we see here in the United States. Everything from light rain, to super cell thunderstorms with damaging winds, hail, and tornadoes. Snowstorms and blizzards also form with these systems.
TROPICAL STORM
A tropical storm is very different. It has a warm core at its central point. It’s very symmetrical in structure, and does not have temperature and moisture differences radiating out from the center of circulation. These storms typically form over large bodies of warm water. The warm water is the energy source for these storms. Ocean water evaporates, and then condenses back into water droplets. This process releases energy back into the storm, allowing it to increase in strength, when favorable environmental conditions exist. This is very different from extratropical storms, which are fueled by differences in temperature and moisture over a given region.
SUB-TROPICAL STORM
A subtropical storm has characteristics of both a tropical storm and an extratropical storm. They form initially from extratropical storms, which have colder temperatures in the upper levels of the atmosphere than are typically found in the tropics. Therefore, they can form in areas where sea surface temperatures are cooler than those needed for tropical systems to initiate. Since warmer ocean water is not as necessary, subtropical storms can also form earlier or later than the normal dates for hurricane season. Typically, what happens is that an extratropical storm will drop southward into the warmer regions of the subtropics. The system then gets blocked by a big ridge of high pressure, and gets cut-off from the cooler and drier air of the higher latitudes. The system them begins to gain more tropical characteristics in its new environment. As the system gains more tropical characteristics, it will eventually transition into a tropical storm.
In short, a subtropical storm forms when it is no longer an extratropical storm, but doesn’t possess all the characteristics of a tropical storm. It is in a sense a hybrid storm system. This is when the storm is designated “subtropical”.
IN SUMMARY: TROPICAL STORM VS. SUBTROPICAL STORM
TROPICAL SYSTEM
Warm core.
Symmetrical on all sides with respect to temperature and dew points
Thunderstorms near center of circulation and wrapped around low pressure.
SUBTROPICAL SYSTEM
Cold core.
Asymmetrical structure with temperature and dew points. The eastern side of the storm will be warmer with higher dew points and more moisture. This is where the showers and thunderstorms will be. The western side of the storm will be cooler, drier, with no clouds and rain.
Thunderstorms will be a far away from the center of the storm.
Here ya go.
I don't remember anyone saying this term before, they were saying Tropical Depression or Wave.
Probably 50 mph.
It’s been a term for a long time. The NHC has officially used the term since 1972. Subtropical systems tend to be much weaker than tropical systems and few progress to the point where they receive names. The systems can also transition into tropical storms.
Hurricane Gustav of 2002 was the first Subtropical Storm to receive a name but became tropical shortly after naming. Subtropical Storm Nicole, from the 2004 Atlantic hurricane season was the first subtropical storm that did not become tropical since the policy change.
50 mph is basically...nothing. Get that with a thunderstorm. But probably the biggest thing with this storm will be the rain.
It makes for better TV to the ignorant masses who watch CNN.
“Tropical”
Named storm bearing down on mainland US
“big number” kph
Must be Climate Change.
Genius
I like to think of a tropical storm as an extra-noreaster.
I read that Tropical Storm Sandy got downgraded right before landfall to, well, nothing (i.e. Not a Hurricane or Tropical Storm) so that any damage to property would be covered by insurance; had it retained the “Tropical Storm” label then insurance wouldn’t cover damage. In other words, it’s all made up.
They came up with a designation I had never heard of before. “Super Storm”.
Now every year they've got to come up with a new gimmick to get people to slobber over what used to be called just "weather".
It's like laundry detergent. For 50 years, every year Tide is "new and improved". Pretty awesome stuff by now, huh!
What’s the difference between a tropical storm and a woman?
No difference. They both come in wet and wild and leave with your house and car.
Changes in latitude
https://youtu.be/56nHBah7mdE
Sandy came ashore at Barnegat Light or thereabouts at 70 to 74mph winds at the eye. Tropical Storm but it had been over cold water and the eye was cool ergo not tropical. Winds at the away from the eye clocked somewhat faster on the eadtrrn side ofvthe storm as the storm’s forward movement added to wind speed. As for insurance, most homeowner policies list a deductible for Cat 1 and above but that applies to roof damage. The most egregious Sandy damage was tidal, not covered unless you had flood insurance. This caused the feds to pass appropriations for Sandy funds.
A sub tropical storm is like a winter storm:something that wouldn’t be named before today’s pseudo scientists sensationalized everything. No closed center. Over hyped.Desensitizing the public.
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