Tropical Storm Alma Forms in the East Pacific...

A legendary name. Perhaps it's a sign of things to come this Atlantic Hurricane Season. A lot of moisture down in the Carib right now and an Alma sort of storm is possible this year depending on shear in the region.

Check out Alma of 1966 that formed in a similar area from where this little Alma's rains may enter the Caribbean Basin and with strong fronts still active to it's north it is possible a Tropical Storm could form in the Caribbean in the following week.

Tropical Waves fear shear as it rips the tops off their clouds before they can build into a force terrible to behold.

Great image this morning of a Storm that looks more like a Hurricane or Half a Hurricane. An eye like feature popped out just in time for it's naming ceremony as the NHC named Alma as the 1st storm of the Eastern Pacific Season.

I know there was a lot of talk about this storm crossing over but I would think with it's sudden rapid intensification and slow forward movement (North at 6mph) the chance for it to make it across all the way is not so set in stone. It also will take a path across ALOT of land and that should weaken whatever is there... however, the moisture is going to stream across Central America and feed into an already very wet, messy Caribbean Sea. A passing Tropical Wave may light the fuse for this season's first Tropical Fling in our part of the world several days down the road. IF Alma had developed more it would create more shear which would turn the faucet off in our part of the world but this way.. it's just feeding the moisture flow into an already wet area.



Alma is currently headed up into Nicaragua and flooding can bring a death toll higher than one might think given her relatively weak winds.

Keep watching... and note that something about Alma in a much milder way reminds me of NAKRI in the West Pacific that intensified fast, moved slowly looking very photogenic in the Pacific.

In our part of the world.. look at that moisture sitting there on our beautiful, blue planet. All those oranges, reds, yellows... murky coppery shades of orange just off of Africa (low but there) and that strong impulse sitting in the middle of the Caribbean in an area that a week ago showed a locked in dry, high. Something to think on as we look towards the start of the Atlantic Hurricane Season on Sunday!



Personally.. home today playing Mommy taking care of a sick daughter and watching Dave Schwartz on TWC as they do minimal coverage of Tropical Storm Alma. And, making soup... beef vegetable soup. Some sort of Caribbean Soup is cooking though as we speak and after simmering a few days... it may turn into one heck of an early tropical brew.

Besos Bobbi