Meteorological history of Hurricane Laura

Add links
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Hurricane Laura
Track of Laura, according to the Saffir–Simpson scale
Meteorological history
FormedAugust 20, 2020
DissipatedAugust 29, 2020
Category 4 major hurricane
1-minute sustained (SSHWS/NWS)
Highest winds150 mph (240 km/h)
Lowest pressure937 mbar (hPa); 27.67 inHg
Overall effects
Areas affectedLesser Antilles, Greater Antilles, The Bahamas, Gulf Coast of the United States, Midwestern United States, Eastern United States
Part of the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season
History

Effects

Other wikis

maximum sustained winds, along with the 1856 Last Island hurricane and Hurricane Ida, and was overall the tenth-strongest hurricane to make landfall in the United States. The thirteenth tropical cyclone, twelfth named storm, fourth hurricane, and first major hurricane of the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season, Laura originated from a large tropical wave that moved off the West African coast on August 16. The tropical wave gradually organized, becoming a tropical depression on August 20. Though in only a marginally conducive environment for intensification, the depression nevertheless intensified into a tropical storm a day later, becoming the earliest twelfth named storm on record in the North Atlantic basin, forming eight days earlier than 1995's Hurricane Luis. The depression received the name Laura and tracked west-northwest towards the Lesser Antilles
.

Laura first hit the Lesser Antilles and brushed

extratropical low over Maryland
several hours later.

Origins, early development, and Lesser Antilles landfalls

Laura shortly after being named on August 21.

On August 16, a large tropical wave moved off the coast of Africa.

major hurricane within the next five days.[7]

Radar image showing Tropical Storm Laura passing south of Puerto Rico on August 22.

Initial

inHg).[1]

Trek through the Greater Antilles

Tropical Storm Laura (right) and Hurricane Marco (left) on August 23.

Despite moving over rugged, mountainous terrain, normally an impediment to tropical cyclone organization, the large size of Laura as well as its lack of inner core allowed it to maintain most of its intensity as it moved over

Pinar del Rio province at around 00:00 UTC on August 25. At the time, it had 65 mph (105 km/h) winds and a 998 mbar (29.47 inch) pressure.[1][19]

Gulf of Mexico, rapid intensification and landfall

Hurricane Laura rapidly intensifying in the Gulf of Mexico on August 26.

After clearing

eye late on August 25 with its sustained winds reaching 85 mph (137 km/h) by 00:00 UTC on August 26.[23][1] With no more negative factors hindering strengthening and sea surface temperatures around 30 °C, Laura began to rapidly intensify, becoming a Category 2 at 06:00 UTC before achieving Category 3 status just six hours later, making it the first major hurricane of the season. By this time, Laura was beginning to make a gradual northward turn in between the high-pressure ridge over the Southeastern United States and a mid-level low near Oklahoma.[1][24]

Laura rapidly strengthening before landfall, then rapidly weakening after landfall

As the day progressed, Laura's eye continued to clear out and the deep convection around it intensified and became more symmetric.[25] The satellite presentation continued to improve with the eye becoming better defined, and cloud tops colder than -70 °C in the surrounding ring of deep convection in the developing

inHg), as measured by reconnaissance aircraft. At this point, the hurricane was located south of Lake Charles, Louisiana and south-southeast of Port Arthur, Texas by a distance of 120 miles (190 km) each.[1][29]

Laura's rapid intensification then ended and its intensity more or less leveled off as it approached southwestern Louisiana.[1] Laura also began to experience some shear from the low to its west, which restricted its outflow on its west side and its pressure began to fluctuate.[30] However, Laura continued to have a very impressive appearance on satellite imagery with a well-defined eye and circular rain bands.[31] Turning almost due north, Laura made its final landfall near Cameron, Louisiana around 06:00 UTC with 150 mph (240 km/h) winds and a pressure of 939 mbars (27.73 inches).[32] The wind speed made Laura the first Category 4 hurricane to ever hit southwestern Louisiana since the 1856 Last Island hurricane as well as the strongest hurricane to hit the state since Hurricane Camille in 1969 (which produced Category 5 conditions over the southeastern portion of the state).[1][33] Forecasters at the NHC described the system as "a ferocious looking hurricane with a clear circular eye, an intense eyewall, and tightly-coiled surrounding spiral bands."[34]

Dissipation

Laura moving over Northwestern Louisiana an hour after being downgraded to a tropical storm on August 27.

After landfall, Laura continued to move northward through the western side of

De Quincy and Oretta at 09:00 UTC before weakening to below major hurricane strength north of Singer just an hour later.[36] Steadily turning more northeastward, Laura dropped to Category 1 status south of Natchitoches, Louisiana at 14:00 UTC as its eye filled and its satellite and radar appearance degraded.[37] It weakened further to a tropical storm north of Arcadia at 17:00 UTC before moving into Southern Arkansas, where wind gusts in the state reached nearly 60 mph (97 km/h).[38] Convection around the storm center weakened further as the storm passed just east of Little Rock. Laura was downgraded to a tropical depression shortly after that at 03:00 UTC on August 28 and the responsibilities for issuing advisories on the storm was handed off to the Weather Prediction Center (WPC) since there was still a flood threat.[39][1]

Laura then accelerated as it turned northeastward and then east-northeastward as it began to lose tropical characteristics ahead of an approaching trough from the west. It moved through Southeastern Missouri and turned eastward into Kentucky before becoming a remnant low at 06:00 UTC on August 29. The WPC then issued its final advisory three hours later while the low was over Head of Grassy as the flood threat was generally over.[40][41] The low continued eastward through West Virginia and Extreme Northern Virginia into Maryland before being absorbed by another low centered near the Great Lakes by 12:00 UTC.[1][42]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Richard J. Pasch; Robbie Berg; David P. Roberts; Philippe P. Papin (May 26, 2021). "Hurricane Laura" (PDF). Tropical Cyclone Report. Miami, Florida: National Hurricane Center. Retrieved May 28, 2021.
  2. ^ "NHC Graphical Outlook Archive". www.nhc.noaa.gov. Retrieved 3 September 2020.Robbie Berg (August 16, 2020). "Five-Day Graphical Tropical Weather Outlook". www.nhc.noaa.gov. Miami, Florida: National Hurricane Center. Retrieved August 20, 2020.
  3. ^ "NHC Graphical Outlook Archive". www.nhc.noaa.gov.
  4. ^ "NHC Graphical Outlook Archive". www.nhc.noaa.gov.
  5. ^ "Tropical Depression THIRTEEN". www.nhc.noaa.gov. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  6. ^ "Hurricane LAURA Advisory Archive". www.nhc.noaa.gov. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  7. ^ Jack Beven (August 20, 2020). Tropical Depression Thirteen Discussion Number 2 (Report). National Hurricane Center. Archived from the original on August 27, 2020. Retrieved August 31, 2020.
  8. ^ Eric Blake (August 21, 2020). Tropical Depression Thirteen Discussion Number 5 (Report). National Hurricane Center. Archived from the original on August 27, 2020. Retrieved August 31, 2020.
  9. ^ Jack Beven (August 21, 2020). Tropical Depression Thirteen Discussion Number 6 (Report). National Hurricane Center. Archived from the original on August 27, 2020. Retrieved August 31, 2020.
  10. ^ "Tropical Depression THIRTEEN". www.nhc.noaa.gov. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  11. ^ "Tropical Storm LAURA". www.nhc.noaa.gov. Retrieved 2 September 2020.
  12. ^ "Tropical Storm LAURA". www.nhc.noaa.gov. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  13. ^ "Tropical Storm LAURA". www.nhc.noaa.gov. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  14. ^ "Tropical Storm LAURA". www.nhc.noaa.gov. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  15. ^ Richard Pasch (August 22, 2020). Tropical Storm Laura Discussion Number 12 (Report). National Hurricane Center. Archived from the original on August 27, 2020. Retrieved August 31, 2020.
  16. ^ "Tropical Storm LAURA". www.nhc.noaa.gov. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  17. ^ "Tropical Storm LAURA". www.nhc.noaa.gov. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  18. ^ "Tropical Storm LAURA". www.nhc.noaa.gov. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  19. ^ "Tropical Storm LAURA". www.nhc.noaa.gov. Retrieved 3 September 2020."Tropical Storm LAURA". www.nhc.noaa.gov. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  20. ^ "Tropical Storm LAURA". www.nhc.noaa.gov. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  21. ^ "Hurricane LAURA". www.nhc.noaa.gov. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  22. ^ "Hurricane LAURA". www.nhc.noaa.gov. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  23. ^ "Hurricane LAURA". www.nhc.noaa.gov. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  24. ^ "Hurricane LAURA". www.nhc.noaa.gov. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  25. ^ "Hurricane LAURA". www.nhc.noaa.gov. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  26. ^ "Hurricane LAURA". www.nhc.noaa.gov. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  27. ^ "Hurricane LAURA". www.nhc.noaa.gov. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  28. ^ a b Daniel Brown (August 26, 2020). Hurricane Laura Discussion Number 28 (Report). National Hurricane Center. Archived from the original on August 28, 2020. Retrieved August 31, 2020.
  29. ^ "Hurricane LAURA". www.nhc.noaa.gov. Retrieved 1 June 2021."Hurricane LAURA". www.nhc.noaa.gov. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  30. ^ "Hurricane LAURA". www.nhc.noaa.gov. Retrieved 4 September 2020."Hurricane LAURA". www.nhc.noaa.gov. Retrieved 4 September 2020."Hurricane LAURA". www.nhc.noaa.gov. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  31. ^ "Hurricane LAURA". www.nhc.noaa.gov. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  32. ^ "Hurricane LAURA". www.nhc.noaa.gov. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  33. ^ "Hurricane Laura the First Southwest Louisiana Category 4 Landfall on Record With Destructive Winds, Storm Surge". The Weather Channel. August 28, 2020. Retrieved August 31, 2020.
  34. ^ John Cangialosi and David Zelinsky (August 27, 2020). Hurricane Laura Discussion Number 30 (Report). National Hurricane Center. Archived from the original on August 27, 2020. Retrieved August 31, 2020.
  35. ^ David Zelinsky, John Cangialosi, and Eric Blake (August 27, 2020). Hurricane Laura Tropical Cyclone Update (Report). National Hurricane Center. Archived from the original on August 27, 2020. Retrieved August 31, 2020.{{cite report}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  36. ^ "Hurricane LAURA". www.nhc.noaa.gov. Retrieved 4 September 2020."Hurricane LAURA". www.nhc.noaa.gov. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  37. ^ "Hurricane LAURA". www.nhc.noaa.gov. Retrieved 4 September 2020."Hurricane LAURA". www.nhc.noaa.gov. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  38. ^ "Tropical Storm LAURA". www.nhc.noaa.gov. Retrieved 4 September 2020."Tropical Storm LAURA". www.nhc.noaa.gov. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  39. ^ "Tropical Depression LAURA". www.nhc.noaa.gov. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  40. ^ "Tropical Depression LAURA". www.nhc.noaa.gov. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  41. ^ "Post-Tropical Cyclone LAURA". www.nhc.noaa.gov. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  42. ^ Service, NOAA's National Weather. "WPC Surface Analysis Archive". www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov. Retrieved 4 September 2020."WPC Surface Analysis valid for 08/29/2020 at 18 UTC". wpc.ncep.noaa.gov. Weather Prediction Center. August 29, 2020. Retrieved September 1, 2020."WPC Surface Analysis valid for 08/29/2020 at 21 UTC". wpc.ncep.noaa.gov. Weather Prediction Center. August 29, 2020. Retrieved September 1, 2020.

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Meteorological_history_of_Hurricane_Laura&oldid=1200764527"