Tag Archives: Hurricane Carlotta

Hurricane Carlotta Churns West

Hurricane Carlotta churned toward the west over the Eastern North Pacific Ocean on Saturday.  At 11:00 p.m. EDT on Saturday the center of Hurricane Carlotta was located at latitude 19.4°N and longitude 121.9°W which put the center about 810 miles (1300 km) west-southwest of the southern tip of Baja California.  Carlotta was moving toward the west-northwest at 10 m.p.h. (16 km/h).  The maximum sustained wind speed was 80 m.p.h. (130 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 95 m.p.h. (150 km/h).  The minimum surface pressure was 985 mb.

Hurricane Carlotta started to weaken slowly on Saturday night when it moved over cooler water.  Thunderstorms in Hurricane Carlotta did not rise as high into the atmosphere.  Even though Carlotta started to weaken, its circulation was well organized.  A small circular eye was still present at the center of Hurricane Carlotta.  The eye was surrounded by a ring of thunderstorms and the strongest winds were occurring in that ring of storms.  Bands of showers and thunderstorms were revolving around the core of Carlotta’s circulation.  Storms near the core of Carlotta still generated upper level divergence that pumped mass away from the hurricane.

The circulation around Hurricane Carlotta was small.  Winds to hurricane force extended out 25 miles (40 km) from the center of Carlotta’s circulation.  Winds to tropical storm force extended out 90 miles (145 km) from the center of Hurricane Carlotta.

Hurricane 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.  Hurricane Carlotta is likely to continue to weaken slowly as it moves over even cooler water.

Hurricane 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, Hurricane Carlotta will move farther away from Baja California.

Elsewhere over the Eastern North Pacific Ocean, Tropical Storm Daniel formed west of Hurricane Carlotta.  At 11:00 p.m. EDT on Saturday the center of Tropical Storm Daniel was located at latitude 12.3°N and longitude 130.5°W which put the center about 1540 miles (2475 km) west-southwest of the southern tip of Baja California.  Daniel was moving toward the north at 2 m.p.h. (3 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.

Carlotta Intensifies to a Hurricane

Former Tropical Storm Carlotta intensified to a hurricane over the Eastern North Pacific Ocean southwest of Baja California on Friday morning.  At 11:00 a.m. EDT on Friday the center of Hurricane Carlotta was located at latitude 18.6°N and longitude 115.2°W which put the center about 455 miles (730 km) southwest of the southern tip of Baja California.  Carlotta was moving toward the west-northwest at 14 m.p.h. (22 km/h).  The maximum sustained wind speed was 80 m.p.h. (130 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 100 m.p.h. (160 km/h).  The minimum surface pressure was 983 mb.

Former Tropical Storm Carlotta strengthened to a hurricane on Friday morning.  A small circular eye formed at the center of Carlotta’s circulation.  The eye was surrounded by a ring of thunderstorms and the strongest winds were occurring in that ring of storms.  Bands of showers and thunderstorms were revolving around the center of Hurricane Carlotta.  Storms near the center of Carlotta’s circulation generated upper level divergence that pumped mass away from the hurricane.

The circulation around Hurricane Carlotta was small.  Winds to hurricane force extended out 15 miles (25 km) from the center of Carlotta’s circulation.  Winds to tropical storm force extended out 80 miles (130 km) from the center of Hurricane Carlotta.

Hurricane Carlotta will move through an environment favorable for intensification during the next 24 hours.  Carlotta will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperatures are near 29°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.  Hurricane Carlotta will continue to intensify during the next 24 hours.

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