Wilma: another midget intense hurricane?

[MGC]

Per the 5pm advisory Wilma has hurricane force winds extending out 15 miles. Wondering if another Charley is at hand? Intense yet small.....MGC

[Scorpion]

No, its going to be loose like Katrina and Rita.

[Amanzi]

No, its going to be loose like Katrina and Rita.

What makes you say that???

[senorpepr]

It's not midget-like as Charlie was. The pressure gradient is much looser, similar to Katrina and Rita. However, I'm not saying Wilma will be that strong, just saying the comparison between pressure and windspeed is similar to those two.

[senorpepr]

Per the 5pm advisory Wilma has hurricane force winds extending out 15 miles. Wondering if another Charley is at hand? Intense yet small.....MGC

Well, the hurricane force winds are small, but the gradient is large.

Of a storm of this strength, the tropical storm force winds should extend to 80 miles.

HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 15 MILES... 30 KM...
FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP
TO 140 MILES...220 KM.

This is a large sucker... which explains the low pressure and low winds.

[Amanzi]

Per the 5pm advisory Wilma has hurricane force winds extending out 15 miles. Wondering if another Charley is at hand? Intense yet small.....MGC

Well, the hurricane force winds are small, but the gradient is large.

Of a storm of this strength, the tropical storm force winds should extend to 80 miles.

HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 15 MILES... 30 KM...
FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP
TO 140 MILES...220 KM.

This is a large sucker... which explains the low pressure and low winds.

Thanks so much for explaining that! I have been trying to figure it out... but uhhh guess I should have guessed something was wrong when I smelled the smoke!

[Seele]

Here's a visual of what Senorpepr is saying:

Here's what Wilma's current windfield is.



Compared to Charley at a similar stage. A little bit stronger winds and a much higher pressure.

[quandary]

Still, Charley was larger (winds out 105mi) as a weak TS with minimum pressure of 999 and winds of 60mph. Wilma could still shrink.

[senorpepr]

Thanks so much for explaining that! I have been trying to figure it out... but uhhh guess I should have guessed something was wrong when I smelled the smoke!

Haha! Aww... don't be so hard on yourself. It's a bit tricky. Just imagine a figure skater spinning. The normal skater (storm) would have it's arms extended 80 miles. Wilma, which is less windy than normal, has her arms out 140 miles.

[senorpepr]

Still, Charley was larger (winds out 105mi) as a weak TS with minimum pressure of 999 and winds of 60mph. Wilma could still shrink.

Well... now we're getting into a difference of outside forces and not just the individual storms themselves. The overall pressure during Charlie was higher and the overall pressure gradient was higher. Not the case with Wilma.

[Weatherfreak14]

Who right now is technically a larger storm? I think wilmia will be. Not the size of Rita and Katrinia though.

[cjrciadt]

Here's a visual of what Senorpepr is saying:

Here's what Wilma's current windfield is.



Compared to Charley at a similar stage. A little bit stronger winds and a much higher pressure.

Please link where you found this.

[Steve H.]

Wilma definitely will be and already is larger, and she will expand during the next 3 days. This is why her wind speed is currently low, as senrpepr explained. It takes time to gain the momentum, but once achieved, it conversely takes a longer to slow the momentum. That's why the NHC discussion mentions that she could be strong at landfall. That's why I'm more concerned even here on the east coast. With Charlie I had just a few strong gusts, while 40 miles north trees were being blown down, This will be a fairly large storm that will affect more people than Charlie. Hopefully it stays to the south.....way south. But that's up in the air right now. Cheers!!

[f5]

science had learn something this year about pressure gradients.Loose storm do more damage than tighter Andrew like stroms beacuse the Hurricane force winds extend out farther than normal and they also last longer

[superfly]

Small? This system would cover the entire Gulf right now north to south.

[SamSagnella]

Small? This system would cover the entire Gulf right now north to south.

I know, right? THIS IS NOT going to be a Charley-esque storm as it comes ashore. I am expecting hurricane-force winds over at least the southern 2/3 of the FL peninsula (subject to change based on forecast track, but you get the idea).

http://www.storm2k.org/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?t=76840&highlight=

[lester]

Per the 5pm advisory Wilma has hurricane force winds extending out 15 miles. Wondering if another Charley is at hand? Intense yet small.....MGC

Don't think so

[f5]

Katrina size?

[SamSagnella]

Katrina size?

Unfortunately, I think that is a very real possibilty.

[SouthFloridawx]

not going to be small at all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11