Mother Nature is efficient at taking care of the planet (IE Water Cycle) and cooling itself off is no different. The hurricane is simply the planet cooling itself off—a redistribution of heat, away from the tropics northward (and southward) toward the Poles. Unfortunately, these heat engines are loaded with all sorts of energy in the form of rain & wind and also unfortunate that we are, at times, in the path of these heat engines which lead to destruction and loss of life.
Hurricane Matthew has ripped through Haiti, Cuba and now add the Bahamas to the list with the United States on deck. Doppler radar out of Miami, Florida shows the eyewall of the Hurricane passing over Freeport, Grand Bahama:
When we talk about maximum sustained winds within a hurricane, it’s within that eyewall–the inner core–where we find the most destructive winds. Farther from that eyewall you find outer bands of rain & wind but with much less intensity (likely on the order of 30-50 mph). Those outer bands have been scraping the Florida coastline for much the afternoon but the eyewall will begin to approach the Florida coast. As of now it looks like the Fort Pierce area and points north late tonight & through the day tomorrow. Several hours of destructive wind, flooding rain & storm surge likely for the east coast of Florida and up into coastal Georgia & South Carolina. Thoughts & prayers for any friends & family in those locations.
As for our weather, like so many other days & weeks……High Pressure is in control for the next several days which protects us from the Hurricane and also supplies New England with several sunny days–including much of the Holiday Weekend:
The only weather player for us is a cool front that charges out of the Great Lake states Saturday afternoon and sweeps through New England Saturday night-Sunday morning. This front will produce clouds and perhaps a spot shower Saturday evening (more likely just some sprinkles) but that’s it for rain chances the next several days. You notice that Saturday (before the cool front arrives) is the warmest of the three with temps in the 70s but much cooler afterwards…near 60.
all in all, some great outdoor weather this weekend shaping up—fall foliage is really coming on strong. Check out this pick from the folks up at Bretton Woods:
Amazing how nature can be so destructive and yet so beautiful.
~JR