All Entries Tagged With: "NHC"

Using Hurricane Tracking Sites – Part 1

Helping you stay informed is one of the main goals of Hurricane Tracking Sites. On this site you can link to a wealth of information about hurricane tracking online. Today we are going to talk about how to get a heads up about what is happening in the tropics. It all starts with a daily visit to the NHC Atlantic Outlook feature located in the right hand column of the site. By clicking on that link you will get a graphic of what is currently being watched by the National Hurricane Center. This is today’s result:

The red circle means that there is a high probability that a storm of some intensity will form. One of the tools you can use at this point is on the HamWeather hurricane tracking site. They have an excellent model forecast feature that is posted way ahead of the other sites. You can find these models by going to the HamWeather site and looking for the following link:

If you click on the forecast link you will get a graphic of what the early models are saying about the storm. Remember that the models are not completely accurate. You are looking for some sort of agreement from the models. They are much more accurate as the storms get closer. Here is what the models are saying at the moment:

If this storm develops it will be called Kyle. Keep an eye on the tropics, staying informed is the best way to manage a hurricane season.

National Hurricane Center (www.nhc.noaa.gov)

The National Hurricane Center site is the site that sets the standard for all the other hurricane tracking sites. The site is simple in it’s presentation, but contains all of the information available from the National Hurricane Center. The site is quick to reflect the latest updates and also provides excellent satellite images. There are graphics available for both three and five day cones, and wind and storm surge probabilities. All you need to do when you go the site is scroll down to the storm you are interested in and click on the icon for what you need. Below is an example of what you will see:

I like to think of this site as old faithful. It is not as flashly as some of the other sites, but it is filled with all of the most current information on every hurricane. You should check out the National Hurricane Center site at www.nhc.noaa.gov.