Presenting Author: Mr. Joseph Sienkiewicz

The NASA QuikSCAT scatterometer provides near global coverage of ocean surface vector winds each day. The combined coverage of the QuikSCAT instrument and high retrievable wind range to 40 m s-1 or more in non-raining conditions has revolutionized the high seas warning and short-term forecast process at the NOAA Ocean Prediction Center (OPC). OPC forecasters routinely see the wind field of entire cyclones, including winds of hurricane force using the QuikSCAT wind fields. To date we have learned that hurricane force winds are much more common than thought. There are preferred areas and times of year for increased frequency. The onset of extreme conditions most often occurs during the rapidly deepening phase of the cyclone and the conditions are short lived on average less than 24 hours in duration. This talk will first present an updated climatology of hurricane force extratropical cyclones over the North Pacific and North Atlantic Oceans for the years 2001-2008. Secondly, we will present a diagnostic examination of the evolution of several hurricane force extratropical cyclones using high temporal and horizontal resolution output from the workstation Weather Research and Forecast (WRF) numerical model.

2024 International OVWST Meeting May 29 - 31 Salt Lake City, Utah, USA

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