Tropical Storm Peter (2003)

Infobox Hurricane
Name=Tropical Storm Peter
Type=Tropical storm
Year=2003
Basin=Atl
Image location=TS Peter 09 dec 2003 1515Z.jpg


Formed=December 7, 2003
Dissipated=December 11, 2003
1-min winds=60
Pressure=990
Da

Inflated=
Fatalities=None reported
Areas=No land areas
Hurricane season=2003 Atlantic hurricane season

Tropical Storm Peter was a short-lived tropical storm that developed outside of the typical Atlantic hurricane season. Forming from an extratropical storm, Peter was initially a subtropical storm with minimal convection near its center. As it moved towards warmer waters, the system organized, and transitioned into a tropical cyclone on December 9. With the development of an eye feature, Peter approached hurricane status to reach peak winds of 70 mph (110 km/h), though upper level shear and cooler waters quickly weakened the storm. Peter became extratropical on December 11, and was absorbed by a cold front shortly thereafter.

Meteorological history

An extratropical cyclone developed on December 2 in the eastern Atlantic Ocean about 1430 miles (2300 km) southwest of the Azores islands. It tracked northwestward, then turned to the north, and developed gale force winds on December 4 after turning to the northeast. Later that day it transitioned into a frontal low,cite web|author=David Roth|year=2003|title=Tropical Storm Peter track prior to cyclogenesis|accessdate=2006-10-12|url=http://www.australiasevereweather.com/cyclones/2004/trak0312.htm] and as high pressures persisted across the northeast Atlantic Oceancite web|author=Formosa|year=2003|title=December 4 Tropical Weather Discussion|publisher=National Hurricane Center|accessdate=2006-10-12|url=ftp://ftp.met.fsu.edu/pub/weather/tropical/Atl-Dis/2003/Dec/2003120500.AXNT20] the storm turned to the southeast. The system lost its frontal character early on December 7 as it turned to the south-southwest, Later that day, the gale developed convection near the center, and it is estimated the system organized into a subtropical storm late on December 7 while located 835 miles (1340 km) south-southwest of the Azores. As the system moved to the southwest over warmer waters, deep convection continued to develop over the storm. The convection concentrated near the center as well-defined banding features developed around the center. Based on the organization, the National Hurricane Center declared the system Tropical Storm Peter on December 9 while located 980 miles (1580 km) northwest of Praia in the Cape Verde islands.cite web|author=Avila|year=2003|title=Tropical Storm Peter Tropical Cyclone Report|publisher=NHC|accessdate=2006-10-12|url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/2003peter.shtml]

Several days prior to the formation of Peter, computer models forecast the development of the storm. As it transitioned into a 45 mph (75 km/h) tropical storm, Peter was moving slowly, and initial forecasts expected rapid weakening.cite web|author=Avila|year=2003|title=Tropical Storm Peter Discussion One|publisher=NHC|accessdate=2006-10-12|url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2003/dis/al212003.discus.001.shtml?] However, an eye feature quickly developed within the convection, and the storm strengthened to reach peak winds of 70 mph (110 km/h) late on December 9. Though the presence of the eye feature along with Dvorak classifications of 75 mph (120 km/h) would usually indicate a tropical cyclone of hurricane intensity, Peter remained a tropical storm, and the eye feature quickly began to dissipate. The storm tracked northward ahead of the same frontal system that absorbed Tropical Storm Odette, and the combination of strong upper-level winds and cooler water temperatures quickly weakened the storm. By December 10 Peter degenerated into a tropical depression, consisting of a tight low-level circulation comprised of low clouds. As the system turned to the northeast over progressively cooler waters, Peter transitioned into an extratropical depression on December 11. Shortly thereafter it was absorbed by the approaching cold front.

Impact and records

Peter remained over the open Atlantic Ocean for its entire lifetime, and did not affect land. With the development of Tropical Storms Peter and Odette, the 2003 season became the first year since 1887 that two storms developed in the month of December. At the time, after the development of Peter, the 2003 season was tied for the fifth most-active Atlantic hurricane season, though it has since dropped to sixth after the 2005 season. The 235 days between the development of the first storm, Tropical Storm Ana, and the dissipation of the last storm, Peter, made the 2003 season the longest season since 1952. Peter is one of only three Atlantic hurricane seasons to reach the "P" name since naming began in 1950.cite web|author=Hurricane Research Division|year=2006|title=Hurdat Data for Tropical Cyclones 1851-2005|publisher=NOAA|accessdate=2006-10-11|url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/tracks1851to2005_atl.txt]

See also

*List of storms in the 2003 Atlantic hurricane season

References

External links

* [http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2003/PETER.shtml? NHC's archive on Tropical Storm Peter]
* [http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/2003peter.shtml NHC's Tropical Cyclone Report on Tropical Storm Peter]