Tropical Depression INGRID
Coastal Watches/Warnings and 5-Day Track Forecast Cone
Click image to zoom out – Turn track off
Click Here for a Printer Friendly Graphic
Note: If a storm is expected to dissipate within 5 days, its track will be shorter
About this product:
This graphic shows an approximate representation of coastal areas under
a hurricane warning (red), hurricane watch (pink), tropical storm
warning (blue) and tropical storm watch (yellow). The orange circle
indicates the current position of the center of the tropical cyclone.
The black line and dots show the National Hurricane Center (NHC)
forecast track of the center at the times indicated.
The letter inside the dot indicates the NHC's forecast intensity for that
time.
NHC forecast tracks of the center can be in error; track forecast errors in
recent years were used to construct the areas of uncertainty for the first 3
days (solid white area) and for days 4 and 5 (white stippled area). These
areas of uncertainty are formed by enclosing the area swept out by a set of
circles (not shown) along the forecast track (at 12, 24, 36 hours, etc). The
size of each circle is set so that two-thirds of historical official forecast
errors over a 5-year sample fall within the circle. The historical data indicate
the entire 5-day path of the center of the tropical cyclone will remain within the
outer uncertainty area about 60-70% of the time. There is also uncertainty in the
NHC intensity forecasts. The Maximum 1-minute Wind Speed Probability Table provides
intensity forecast and uncertainty information.
It is also important to realize that a tropical cyclone is not a point. Their
effects can span many hundreds of miles from the center. The area
experiencing hurricane force (one-minute average wind speeds of at least
74 mph) and tropical storm force (one-minute average wind speeds of
39-73 mph) winds can extend well beyond the white areas shown enclosing
the most likely track area of the center. The distribution of hurricane
and tropical storm force winds in this tropical cyclone can be seen in
the Wind History graphic linked above.
Considering the combined forecast uncertainties in track, intensity, and size, the
chances that any particular location will experience winds of 34 kt (tropical storm force),
50 kt, or 64 kt (hurricane force) from this tropical cyclone are presented in
tabular form for selected locations and forecast positions. This information is also presented in
graphical form for the 34 kt, 50 kt,
and 64 kt thresholds.
Note: A detailed definition of the NHC track forecast cone is also available.
|