Hurricane Bill looking to strengthen to a major hurricane after Tropical Storm Claudette made landfall on the Florida panhandle

Well, Tropical Ana is still barely holding on in the Caribbean, though she is expected to dissipate sometime soon. Bill, this morning, was upgraded to a Hurricane. Yes, folks, Hurricane Bill is the first (finally) hurricane of the 2009 Atlantic Basin Hurricane Season. Cane chasers everywhere are closely watching models to see what Hurricane Bill might do in the coming days. The current trajectory puts Hurricane Bill between Bermuda and the US east coast, that is highly dependent on the subtropical ridge in the central Atlantic, which is currently steering Hurricane Bill west northwestward, breaking down during the next 48 hours, allowing that hurricane to shoot more northwestward. One model is holding on to a more southern solution, which has created a shadow of a doubt, actually shifting the official trajectory slightly more southward. Currently, he is hot on the heels of where, now Tropical Depression Ana picked back up after a couple of days rest. Her original path took her where they are suggesting Bill might go, but she didn't end up heading that way, at all. So, really, anything can happen. I will keep you posted. Currently, Hurricane Bill is working to get his act together, wrapping some heavy southern convection around to give himself some more symmetry. He's looking pretty.

ALL INTENSITY GUIDANCE INDICATES A CONDUCIVE ENVIRONMENT FOR STRENGTHENING...WHICH SHOULD ALLOW BILL TO BECOME A MAJOR HURRICANE.

On to Claudette, Tropical Storm Claudette made landfall as a moderate tropical storm at 12:25AM, just southeast of Fort Walton Beach. With much of the concentrated convection remaining off shore, they experienced only some wind, power outages and rain. Claudette was even kind enough to carry with her some sand... no beach erosion. Bonus!

I should mantion our game night on Saturday. We had a great time with Annie and her family, learning how to severely inconvencience her neighbor... then, I taught them all the fine art of SPOONS! I am now referred to as the Spoon Nazi... but check out the expression on my wonderful groom's face... Unfortunately, Annie's little girl is at the dr's office now in a mask after a sudden onset of Swine flu-like symptoms, Sunday morning... our second exposure in as many weeks. It's running wild in south Georgia.

Aside from that, I hope you all have a splendiferous day!
~Dewdrop

The tropics are ALIVE!!!

Claudette arrived on the scene, while we were away at church... go figure. So we have Tropical Depression Ana, which Rick had his money on... cough cough. We have Tropical Storm Bill...

...BILL LIKELY TO BECOME A HURRICANE TONIGHT OR ON MONDAY...

Incidentally, the forecast for the soon to be Hurricane Bill is pretty exciting. If he stays a fish, it shouldn't matter, but if he doesn't take the hook to the northwest, we could be dealing with a major hurricane on the east coast somewhere...

ALL RELIABLE MODELS CONTINUE TO SHOW THIS SYSTEM BECOMING A MAJOR HURRICANE...WITH THE GFDL/HWRF/GFDN MODELS FORECASTING BILL TO REACH CATEGORY FOUR STRENGTH BY DAY 5.

... and is on course for fishdom, unless he makes contact with the coast further up the way. Of course, that was Ana's original track when she was a TD out that way. Then, we have Tropical Storm Claudette... on course for... me?! What? Well, she's not really headed my way, but what on earth... TS out of nowhere. Anyone remember Humberto???

Well, wow. I guess I should stay close to the computer. My tracking chart is going haywire!

Oh, and check out Claudette...We actually have her outer bands here. Wild.

Have an eccentric day!
~Dewdrop