Does Dennis have the potential to become a MAJOR hurricane?

[ticka1]

When will recon fly into Dennis to determine the exact center location? Is there certain criteria the hurricanehunters must determine before a flight is made? Is the fact that Cindy is in the GOM and is more of a threat?

Patricia

[jfranklin]

You can always get the recon flight schedule by going to

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/reconlist.shtml

The first flight in Dennis is scheduled for 18Z tomorrow.

Each day, the hurricane specialist makes his request for reconnaissance flights for the following day. The Hurricane Hunters then let us know whether there are resources available to meet the request. This year is a little tricky because there is a transition going on from C-130H's to C-130J models.

Cindy, as the more imminent landfall, obviously is first priority. Matters are also complicated by the fact that Biloxi is under a tropical storm warning, which I suspect requires a scrambling of the aircraft.

James

[Alabamaboy]

You can always get the recon flight schedule by going to

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/reconlist.shtml

The first flight in Dennis is scheduled for 18Z tomorrow.

Each day, the hurricane specialist makes his request for reconnaissance flights for the following day. The Hurricane Hunters then let us know whether there are resources available to meet the request. This year is a little tricky because there is a transition going on from C-130H's to C-130J models.

Cindy, as the more imminent landfall, obviously is first priority. Matters are also complicated by the fact that Biloxi is under a tropical storm warning, which I suspect requires a scrambling of the aircraft.

James

Is that's why NOAA is flying more than AF? The NOAA planes usually dont fly until it gets near land or where Kesler can't leave to go into it.

[jfranklin]

The NOAA aircraft have an instrument that the AF planes do not currently have: the Stepped Frequency Microwave Radiometer. The SFMR measures surface winds everywhere underneath the aircraft track. The only alternative is a GPS dropsonde, which gives winds only where dropped, and at a cost of roughly $650 per sonde. So there is more flying by NOAA during the past couple years, to gather better information on intensity with the SFMR.

In addition to reconnaissance flights by NOAA, the NOAA Hurricane Research Division has an annual field program of hurricane flights. These might occur near land, or in any storm that fits their research requirements. I understand that HRD is conducting research flights in Dennis today and tomorrow.

James