Carlotta Weakens to a Tropical Storm

Former Hurricane Carlotta weakened to a tropical storm over the Eastern North Pacific Ocean west of Baja California on Sunday.  At 5:00 p.m. EDT on Sunday the center of Tropical Storm Carlotta was located at latitude 19.9°N and longitude 125.0°W which put the center about 990 miles (1595 km) west of the southern tip of Baja California.  Carlotta was moving toward the west at 10 m.p.h. (16 km/h).  The maximum sustained wind speed was 60 m.p.h. (95 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 75 m.p.h. (120 km/h).  The minimum surface pressure was 998 mb.

Former Hurricane Carlotta weakened to a tropical storm on Sunday when it moved over cooler water in the Eastern North Pacific Ocean west of Baja California.  Many of the thunderstorms in Tropical Storm Carlotta weakened or dissipated on Sunday.  Even though the circulation around Carlotta weakened, it still appeared well organized in visible satellite images.  Numerous bands of showers, and low and middle clouds were revolving around the center of Carlotta’s circulation.  However, the showers near the center of Carlotta were too shallow to generate upper level divergence that could pump mass away from the tropical storm.  Thus, convergence of mass in the lower levels of the atmosphere caused the surface pressure to increase.

Tropical Storm Carlotta will move through an environment that will be unfavorable for intensification during the next 24 hours.  Carlotta will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperatures are near 25°C.  It will move near the axis of an upper level ridge over the Eastern North Pacific Ocean.  The upper level winds are weak near the axis of the ridge and there will be little vertical wind shear.  Tropical Storm Carlotta is likely to continue to weaken slowly as it moves over the cool water.

Tropical Storm Carlotta will move around the southern side of a high pressure system over the Eastern North Pacific Ocean.  The high pressure system will steer Carlotta toward the west during the next 24 hours.  On its anticipated track, Tropical Storm Carlotta will move farther away from Baja California.

Elsewhere over the Eastern North Pacific Ocean, Tropical Storm Daniel meandered west of Tropical Storm Carlotta and Tropical Depression Five-E formed south of Baja California.

At 5:00 p.m. EDT on Sunday the center of Tropical Storm Daniel was located at latitude 13.4°N and longitude 129.9°W which put the center about 1465 miles (2355 km) west-southwest of the southern tip of Baja California.  Daniel was moving toward the northeast at 8 m.p.h. (13 km/h).  The maximum sustained wind speed was 40 m.p.h. (65 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 50 m.p.h. (80 km/h).  The minimum surface pressure was 1006 mb.

At 5:00 p.m. EDT on Sunday the center of Tropical Depression Five-E was located at latitude 15.5°N and longitude 113.2°W which put the center about 555 miles (890 km) south-southwest of the southern tip of Baja California.  The tropical depression was moving toward the south at 2 m.p.h. (3 km/h).  The maximum sustained wind speed was 35 m.p.h. (55 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 45 m.p.h. (75 km/h).   The minimum surface pressure was 1007 mb.