Tropical Storm Cristobal (2008)

Infobox Hurricane
Name=Tropical Storm Cristobal
Type=Tropical storm
Year=2008
Basin=Atl
Image location=Cristobal 22 July 2008.jpg


Formed=July 19, 2008
Dissipated=July 23, 2008
1-min winds=55
Pressure=998
Da

Fatalities=None reported
Areas=Florida, The Carolinas, Atlantic Canada
Hurricane season=2008 Atlantic hurricane season

Tropical Storm Cristobal was the third named storm of the 2008 Atlantic hurricane season. It formed on July 19 from a trough of low pressure off the Southeast U.S. Coast. In a marginally favorable environment, it attained minimal tropical storm status later that day. The storm remained offshore, and peaked as a strong tropical storm on July 21 while it passed east of Cape Hatteras. It accelerated northeast parallel to the East Coast and became extratropical on July 23 near Nova Scotia. Because it was a weak storm and never made landfall, Cristobal's effects were mostly limited to moderate rainfall. The storm dropped 3.43 in (87 mm) of rain in Wilmington, North Carolina, where minor flooding was reported. Additionally, the extratropical remnants contributed to rainfall on Nova Scotia which caused some street and basement flooding.

Meteorological history

On July 14, 2008 a weakening surface trough extended across northern Florida, producing thunderstorms across the state. [cite web|author=Walton & Cangialosi|date=2008-07-14|title=Tropical Weather Discussion|publisher=National Hurricane Center|accessdate=2008-07-18|url=ftp://ftp.met.fsu.edu/pub/weather/tropical/Atl-Dis/2008071417.AXNT20] A weak low pressure area developed on July 15 near Tallahassee, [cite web|author=Huffman|date=2008-07-15|title=Tropical Weather Discussion|publisher=National Hurricane Center|accessdate=2008-07-18|url=ftp://ftp.met.fsu.edu/pub/weather/tropical/Atl-Dis/2008071512.AXNT20] which moved southeastward into the Gulf of Mexico. [cite web|author=Wallace|date=2008-07-15|title=Tropical Weather Discussion|publisher=National Hurricane Center|accessdate=2008-07-18|url=ftp://ftp.met.fsu.edu/pub/weather/tropical/Atl-Dis/2008071523.AXNT20] Late on July 16 it crossed onshore near Tampa, [cite web|author=Walton & Tichacek|date=2008-07-16|title=Tropical Weather Discussion|publisher=National Hurricane Center|accessdate=2008-07-18|url=ftp://ftp.met.fsu.edu/pub/weather/tropical/Atl-Dis/2008071618.AXNT20] and development was not anticipated due to land interaction. [cite web|author=Franklin|date=2008-07-16|title=Tropical Weather Outlook|publisher=National Hurricane Center|accessdate=2008-07-18|url=ftp://ftp.met.fsu.edu/pub/weather/tropical/Outlook-A/2008071623.ABNT20] Late on July 17, however, convection increased in association with the low, [cite web|author=Blake & Knabb|date=2008-07-17|title=Tropical Weather Outlook|publisher=National Hurricane Center|accessdate=2008-07-18|url=ftp://ftp.met.fsu.edu/pub/weather/tropical/Outlook-A/2008071717.ABNT20] and the system quickly became better organized. Late on July 18, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) remarked that a tropical depression was developing, [cite web|author=Franklin|date=2008-07-18|title=Tropical Weather Outlook|publisher=National Hurricane Center|accessdate=2008-07-18|url=ftp://ftp.met.fsu.edu/pub/weather/tropical/Outlook-A/2008071823.ABNT20] with its convection becoming more concentrated around a circulation; at 11 p.m. EST on July 18 (0300 UTC July 19), it was classified as Tropical Depression Three, about 65 miles (105 km) southeast of Charleston, South Carolina.cite web|author=Franklin|date=2008-07-19|title=Tropical Depression Three Discussion One|publisher=National Hurricane Center|accessdate=2008-07-19|url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2008/al03/al032008.discus.001.shtml?]

Located between a ridge to its southeast and northwest, the depression moved slowly northeastward, and with a marginally favorable upper-level environment, it attained minimal tropical storm status during the early afternoon of July 19. [cite web|author=Blake & Knabb|title=Tropical Storm Cristobal Discussion Number 4|year=2008|publisher=National Hurricane Center|accessdate=2008-07-23|url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2008/al03/al032008.discus.004.shtml?] Initially fairly disorganized with little deep convection, [cite web|author=Franklin|title=Tropical Storm Cristobal Discussion Number 5|year=2008|publisher=National Hurricane Center|accessdate=2008-07-23|url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2008/al03/al032008.discus.005.shtml?] dry air in the mid- to-upper-levels of the atmosphere prevented immediate intensification. [cite web|author=Knabb & Blake|title=Tropical Storm Cristobal Discussion Number 7|year=2008|publisher=National Hurricane Center|accessdate=2008-07-23|url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2008/al03/al032008.discus.007.shtml?] However, late on July 20 thunderstorm activity increased. [cite web|author=Blake & Knabb|title=Tropical Storm Cristobal Discussion Number 8|year=2008|publisher=National Hurricane Center|accessdate=2008-07-23|url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2008/al03/al032008.discus.008.shtml?] Cristobal remained a fairly weak tropical storm as it tracked adjacent to the Carolina coast, and the storm never made landfall. It reached peak intensity as a strong tropical storm on July 21 while it passed east of Cape Hatteras, and remained such over the warm Gulf Stream waters as convection became strong over the southern portion of the circulation. [cite web|author=Blake|title=Tropical Storm Cristobal Discussion Number 11|year=2008|publisher=National Hurricane Center|accessdate=2008-07-23|url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2008/al03/al032008.discus.011.shtml?] Beginning to enter cooler waters, the cyclone accelerated east-northeastward on July 21 and July 22. [cite web|author=Rhome|title=Tropical Storm Cristobal Discussion Number 12|year=2008|publisher=National Hurricane Center|accessdate=2008-07-23|url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2008/al03/al032008.discus.013.shtml?] On the afternoon of July 22, Cristobal began to weaken south of Nova Scotia. In the evening hours, satellite imagery indicated that the mid-level center became separated from the low-level center. [cite web|author=Blake|title=Tropical Storm Cristobal Discussion Number 16|year=2008|publisher=National Hurricane Center|accessdate=2008-07-23|url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2008/al03/al032008.discus.016.shtml?] The storm's cloud pattern became disorganized, and by July 23 it had completed an extratropical transition. The National Hurricane Center issued its last advisory on the system at 5:00 am EDT (0900 UTC) on July 23. [cite web|author=Rhome|title=Tropical Storm Cristobal Discussion Number 18|year=2008|publisher=National Hurricane Center|accessdate=2008-07-23|url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2008/al03/al032008.discus.018.shtml?]

Impact

In preparations for the storm, the National Hurricane Center issued a tropical storm warning from Cape Lookout, North Carolina to the Virginia–North Carolina border. [cite web|first=Estes|last=Thompson|title=Tropical Storm Cristobal brushes NC coast|year=2008|publisher=Associated Press|accessdate=2008-08-15|url=http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gnYocoDdejbyeJxwRknvkqJ8hNIQD921TN8G6] Prior to forming, the precursor low pressure area dropped light to moderate rainfall across Florida. In Lake Wales, a total of 6 inches (150 mm) was reported, mostly within a two hour period; the sudden rainfall clogged storm drains, which caused some street flooding. [cite news|first=Bill|last=Bair|date=2008-07-18|title=System Likely to Deliver More Rain to Polk|work=The Ledger|accessdate=2008-07-19|url=http://www.theledger.com/article/20080718/NEWS/807180436/1374&title=System_Likely_to_Deliver_More_Rain_to_Polk#] The precipitation caused no serious problems, and alleviated previously dry conditions. [cite news|first=Kate|last=Spinner|date=2008-07-17|title=Rain is long overdue|work=Herald Tribune|accessdate=2008-07-19|url=http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20080717/ARTICLE/807170337/0/sports] As a tropical system the storm dropped convert|3.43|in|mm|abbr=on in Wilmington, North Carolina, a record for that day. There, minor flooding was reported. Because the bulk of the storm remained offshore, winds along the coast were about convert|25|mph|km/h|abbr=on. [cite web|first=Estes|last=Thompson|title=Tropical Storm Cristobal brushes NC coast|year=2008|publisher=Associated Press|accessdate=2008-07-22|url=http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gnYocoDdejbyeJxwRknvkqJ8hNIQD921TN8G6] No damages were reported.

Though Cristobal was not fully responsible (a warm front in the area also produced significant rainfall), heavy rain and localized flooding was reported across parts of Atlantic Canada. At Baccaro Point on the southern tip of Nova Scotia, 224 mm (8.8 in) of rain was reported, while 145 mm (5.8 in) was reported in Sambro, near Halifax. Flooded basements and streets were reported in the Cape Sable area, and flooding was also reported near Ketch Harbour and Portugal Cove. [cite web|author=Fogarty/Bowyer|title=Tropical Storm Cristobal Information Statement|year=2008|publisher=Canadian Hurricane Centre|accessdate=2008-07-23|url=http://www.atl.ec.gc.ca/weather/hurricane/bulletins/20080722180403.Cristobal.txt.en] A sailor from Connecticut was rescued convert|250|km|mi|abbr=on southeast of Halifax by a Canadian helicopter when his ship capsized in stormy seas. [cite web|author=CBC News|title=Sailor rescued from Cristobal's stormy wrath|year=2008|accessdate=2008-07-23|url=http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2008/07/23/cristobal-sailor.html]

ee also

*Tropical cyclone
*2008 Atlantic hurricane season

References

External links

* [http://www.hpc.ncep.noaa.gov/tropical/rain/cristobal2008.html Tropical Storm Cristobal (2008) HPC rainfall page.]