Tropical Storm Earl Forms Near the Lesser Antilles Hurricane Danielle Over the Far Eastern Atlantic

WECT TV Wilmington NC ^ | Aug. 14, 2004 | WECT TV Wilmington NC

[TaxRelief]

A hurricanes path is determined by (a) influences from the jet stream, (b) surface temperatures, (c) wind strength and (d) barometric pressure. In this case Charley followed the warm water gradients almost precisely. (He circled the warmest water pool.) A Stationary front was also significant.

[TaxRelief]

When a storm is weak enough it will be controlled by the jet stream.

[spoiler2]

Thanks for the analysis.

The jet stream has pulled back to mid-continent, but if it swings down during Earl's final approach, it might again serve for a surprise twist.

[Strategerist]

When a storm is weak enough it will be controlled by the jet stream.
A trough in the Jet Stream, strong enough, will control ANY storm, even a Cat 5. Actually it's weak storms least likely to have their movement affected by a jet-stream trough; they aren't "tall" so the low-level easterly flow controls their movement.

[Strategerist]

Surface temperature of water has absolutely no influence on the track of a hurricane at all (except in the secondary sense that the intensity of a storm will affect its track somewhat, and intensity is partially dependent on SSTs.)

They don't move TOWARD warm water or anything.

[snapperjk]

spoiler2, yes. I agree. On Thursday my wife said look at that 'thing' in the upper left of the TV screen (it was the cold front slipping along the JS). Wife said the storm is going to turn east before it gets near Tampa, which it did. But, my wife is a nurse, not a meteorologist.
Anyway, the property damage is tremendous but thanks to who/whatever you believe in, the death toll is amazingly low. Amen.