Answer to the naming of storms Crossing ATL to EPAC

[Stormsfury]

I fired off an email to the NHC Sunday morning in regards to the what I remember seeing a while back and couldn't remember where I had originally found it. Here's the email I received from Frank Lepore today.

Mike,

Todd has redirected your question to NHC's Office of Public Affairs
to see if we could conjure-up a response to your interesting question.

The World Meteorological Organization, Regional Association-IV
changed the rules in April 2000 to state that "a tropical cyclone which
passes from one basin to another will retain its name." This would be a
no brainer in a case like Hurricane Iris if it had remained strong and
we'd had written advisories continuously every six hours. However, after
looking at the satellite loops and listening to vehement arguments from
the hurricane specialists much of the day, we decided in this instance
not to use the name Iris if this EPAC system developed. We were
convinced that the mid level center that was trackable on satellite was
dissipating over Mexico while a new center developed to the south over
the Pacific. The new center obviously developed from the same weather
system and as such was so stated in our tropical cyclone discussion.
However, we were concerned about setting a precedent if we had
discontinuity in the advisories. For example, we could have a tropical
storm over the eastern Atlantic that opens up into an open wave that
could be tracked into the eastern Pacific. If we retain the Atlantic
name on the system if it develops in the Pacific several days later,
things could have gotten confusing (particularly if the wave was not
easily trackable). In fact, such a phenomena could happen a few times in
a season,leading to no end of confusion when people are trying to get a
name off a list.

Sincerely,

Frank Lepore
Public Affairs Officer
National Hurricane Center
11691 S.W. 17th Street
Miami, FL 33165-2149

[JCT777]

Correct me if I am interpretting this wrong - If Larry's remnants develop into a TS in the Pacific (as an example), it would be given the next E-PAC name.

[Stormsfury]

Correct me if I am interpretting this wrong - If Larry's remnants develop into a TS in the Pacific (as an example), it would be given the next E-PAC name.

Correct, John.

Since Larry pretty much dissipated and only the remnants are leftover and should the remnant vorticity develops in the EPAC, it would get the next EPAC name in the list.

SF

[JCT777]

Thanks, SF. Looks like Larry's remnants may help Olaf in bringing moisture to the southwest U.S.

[Derek Ortt]

If the current center reforms, it keeps the name Larry. Iris was given a different name, not because the mid-level center developed, but because a completely new center developed

[caneflyer]

Actually, no. The only way the name is kept is if advisories are continuous, i.e., it is a tropical cyclone continuously from basin to basin. If advisories are stopped, then a new name is given.