Update: 10 p.m. EDT
Sandy made landfall about 5 miles southwest of Atlantic City, New Jersey around 8 p.m. EDT. It came ashore as an extratropical cyclone as Sandy made a quick transition during the late afternoon. The storm still had sustained winds up to 80 mph and was moving west-northwest at 21 mph. Sandy slowed as it moved inland and may slow some more over the next few hours.
Notice the area colored in yellow. These are winds in the range of 45 to 60 mph. This is a very large area of high winds and it is pushing water into New York harbor due to the southeast winds. It produced a record flood for lower Manhattan.
Sandy continues to move inland and was near Wilmington, Delaware as of 10 p.m. EDT. Inland winds of 40 to 50 mph were common. This heaviest rains were now south and west of the center.
Heavy snows are now falling in West Virginia and western Virginia. The snow extends south into the mountains of North Carolina, but amounts have been generally light so far. More snow is expected overnight and through the day on Tuesday.
Update: 6 p.m. EDT
Sandy is now extratropical. However, that does not alter the overall pattern of the storm. It has been making rapid transition during the past few hours. The 5 p.m. analysis of the wind field is below with the radar composite from 5:48 p.m. The storm is approaching Cape May, New Jersey and should make landfall in about an hour.
Update: 2 p.m. EDT
Hurricane Sandy is accelerating and turning to the west-northwest. The storm has been moving northwest over the past three hours, but it is clearly turning. Forward motion is now 28 mph and central pressure is 940 mb (27.76 in.). Maximum sustained winds still at 90 mph, but it appears that an area of strongest winds are developing north of the center.
The faster forward motion means that the center will cross the coast earlier than forecast. In addition, it could move faster as it is affected by a strongly negatively tilted trough shown in this mornings upper-air analysis. The jet stream may cause a further deepening of the pressure.
Sandy made landfall about 5 miles southwest of Atlantic City, New Jersey around 8 p.m. EDT. It came ashore as an extratropical cyclone as Sandy made a quick transition during the late afternoon. The storm still had sustained winds up to 80 mph and was moving west-northwest at 21 mph. Sandy slowed as it moved inland and may slow some more over the next few hours.
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| The windfield around Sandy as of 9 p.m. EDT, October 29, 2012. Click on the image for a larger view. Image Credit: NOAA. |
Sandy continues to move inland and was near Wilmington, Delaware as of 10 p.m. EDT. Inland winds of 40 to 50 mph were common. This heaviest rains were now south and west of the center.
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| The radar from Dover AFB as of 10 p.m. EDT, October 29, 2012. Sandy was centered southwest of Wilmington, Delaware. Image Credit: WLTX-TV. |
Update: 6 p.m. EDT
Sandy is now extratropical. However, that does not alter the overall pattern of the storm. It has been making rapid transition during the past few hours. The 5 p.m. analysis of the wind field is below with the radar composite from 5:48 p.m. The storm is approaching Cape May, New Jersey and should make landfall in about an hour.
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| The wind field over the radar. Click on the image for a larger view. The storm is extratropical. Image Credit: NOAA. |
Update: 2 p.m. EDT
Hurricane Sandy is accelerating and turning to the west-northwest. The storm has been moving northwest over the past three hours, but it is clearly turning. Forward motion is now 28 mph and central pressure is 940 mb (27.76 in.). Maximum sustained winds still at 90 mph, but it appears that an area of strongest winds are developing north of the center.
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| Windfall analysis as of 1 p.m. EDT October 29, 2012. Image Credit: NOAA. |
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| Radar image of Sandy as of 2 p.m. EDT October 29, 2012. Image Credit: WLTX-TV. |
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| Analysis of the 250 mb level showing strong winds along the East Coast. Image Credit: NCAR/RAP. |
