Frigid temperatures this weekend prompt cold weather advisories

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It looks like a super typhoon in the Pacific.

But Hurricane Lee is now the first Atlantic Category 4 storm this year. The system is nearly perfect in terms of structure and symmetry. The image at the top of this post shows the incredibly large and symmetric central dense overcast and eye structures. 

Lee is one of the most impressive and scary-looking Atlantic tropical cyclones I have ever seen. 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s 5 p.m. AST update

 for Lee pegs maximum sustained winds at 130 mph. That puts Lee into Category 4 status. 

Lee underwent rapid intensification Thursday. Maximum sustained wind speed blew up from 75 mph to 130 mph since Wednesday. 

 by an increase in the maximum sustained winds of a tropical cyclone of at least 35 mph in a 24-hour period.

The official National Hurricane Center forecast for Lee cranks winds up to 165 mph in about 24 hours. That would put Lee into rare Category 5 status. 

Lee is forecast to continue to move generally west-northwest for the next few days. That would put Lee north of the Dominican Republic by about next Tuesday. 

After that, steering currents and forecast models continue to show a turn to the north. If accurate, that would keep the main body of Lee offshore from the East Coast of the United States. 

But a few models bring Lee very close to New England later next week. With uncertainties in the way upper-air steering patterns evolve that far out, it is still possible that Lee could become a threat to the U.S. East Coast late next week. 

Weather and Climate News

Updraft® - Minnesota Weather News

Paul Huttner

Author

Hurricane Lee's wind speed increased 55 mph in just 24 hours. 

Hurricane Lee explodes to Category 4 with rapid intensification

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