[MikefromOhio]

Take a look now...

http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/PS/TROP/DATA/RT/float-vis-loop.html

MY guess is that when that plane gets in there, we will find that Rita is a Cat 5 with 160 MPH winds....

[Knitting A Conundrum]

Last report (which was an estimate, cause they didn't get to do the earlier flight) says it looks like winds of 140...so saying 160 is not out of the question...

[NotJustAnotherPrettyFace]

Maybe the NOAA is flying the Aerosonde into this one like they did with Ophelia?

NOAA AND PARTNERS CONDUCT FIRST SUCCESSFUL UNMANNED AIRCRAFT HURRICANE OBSERVATION BY FLYING THROUGH OPHELIA

[burzum]

Take a look now... http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/PS/TROP/DATA/RT/float-vis-loop.html... MY guess is that when that plane gets in there, we will find that Rita is a Cat 5 with 160 MPH winds....

I'm not a meteorologist, just someone who has a hurricane hobby, but I still don't think she looks like an annular hurricane. The annular hurricanes that I have looked at look more like buzzsaw blades. Give her a couple more hours and perhaps her outflow bands will balance out to give us a better look. One thing that is sort of creepy is that I haven't heard of an eyewall replacement cycle for a while. That certainly isn't a good sign (as annular hurricanes don't need to replace their eyewalls).