NASA Satellite Animation Shows Tropical Storm Arlene “Eaten” By Weather System
An animation created by NASA using imagery from NOAA’s GOES-East satellite shows the North Atlantic Ocean’s first tropical storm of the season being “eaten” by a large frontal system. The satellite loop from April 19 to April 22 shows Tropical Storm Arlene in the Central Atlantic Ocean as it strengthened into a tropical storm on April 20, and then weakens and is absorbed by a frontal system the following day. The animation combines visible and infrared satellite imagery from NOAA’s GOES-East satellite.
On April 19th, the National Hurricane Center issued their first advisory on Subtropical Depression One. The storm developed in the Central Atlantic Ocean, more than 1200 miles east of Bermuda.
Subtropical Depression One has formed in the central Atlantic and is no threat to land. Full advisory: https://t.co/tW4KeGdBFb pic.twitter.com/19TYPhW04y
— NHC Atlantic Ops (@NHC_Atlantic) April 19, 2017
The storm was upgraded to Tropical Storm Arlene the next day, April 20th. Winds were near 45 mph, with gusts to 60 mph. Before Arlene, there have only been four April tropical systems on record; the most recent Tropical Storm Ana in 2003. The other three were tropical depressions in 1992, 1981 and 1973.
Our first Tropical Storm of the Year just formed over the open waters of the Atlantic! #Arlene #TropicalStorm pic.twitter.com/IZFrxTomQP
— WeatherNation (@WeatherNation) April 20, 2017
On Friday, April 21 at 11 a.m. EDT, the National Hurricane Center issued their final bulletin on Arlene. At that time, Arlene had ceased to be a tropical cyclone although maintaining maximum sustained winds near 50 mph. At the time, Arlene was centered about 1,235 miles west-northwest of the Azores Islands. Arlene was moving southwest at 23 mph when the frontal system to the west of the post-tropical storm, caught up to Arlene and absorbed it.
#Arlene is now in the record books as the last advisory has been issued. Here's a look at the 2017 NHC track board. https://t.co/tW4KeGdBFb pic.twitter.com/L17y8zOukh
— NHC Atlantic Ops (@NHC_Atlantic) April 21, 2017
For WeatherNation: Meteorologist Mace Michaels