Category 4 Katia & Soon to be Maria...

Just updating y'all before going to bed, because it's not every day you get a Category FOUR Hurricane out there in the wide open Atlantic. I would think that the stronger she gets the more likely she is to move poleward (north), however sometimes funky things happen with such a strong storm. But, would assure a trip out to sea and don't think she will be a Cat 4 very long.

It's amazing that she is such a strong storm considering she is battling some shear on her NE side and the water there is minimal to support such a storm....however she is there and going strong.

Maria will most likely form tomorrow in the Central Atlantic, or at least become a tropical depression.

A new area in the Gulf of Mexico may pop up, however I'm skeptical and as much as I would love to wish rain on Texas the dry air that is filtering down into the Western side of the Gulf is not conducive to tropical development, still the models are whispering development. I do think in a week or so there will be something there.

Most intriguing is that there is one of those long thin leash sort of visual images from Katia back to the wave that will be Maria.

Then again, Katia being a Category 4 may dampen the tropical wave a bit. Tropical weather is all about transference of energy from the tropics to the poles and hard to ramp up while Katia is exploding. Then again........the longer it takes for "Maria" if she is in the Atlantic to form will keep her further west longer and well... that's not something to laugh at..

Nite... Sweet Tropical Dreams, BobbiStorm

http://tropic.ssec.wisc.edu/real-time/mimic-tpw/natl/anim/latest72hrs.gif



http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/goes/flt/t2/flash-rb.html

Great loop to watch...