Tropical Storm Zeta
LOCATED
50 MI W OF ASHEVILLE NORTH CAROLINA
WINDS
60 MPH
PRESSURE
990 MB
MOVING
NE AT 39 MPH
From the National Hurricane Center at 800 AM EDT Thu Oct 29 2020
ZETA CONTINUES TO PRODUCE DAMAGING WINDS ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES
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key messages
Alerts
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DISCUSSION

1. Strong, damaging wind gusts, which could cause tree damage andpower outages, will continue to spread well inland across portionsof northeastern Alabama, northern Georgia, the Carolinas, andsoutheastern Virginia today due to Zeta's fast forward speed. Windgusts could be especially severe across the southern AppalachianMountains.

2. Through today, heavy rainfall is expected near and in advance of Zeta from portions of the central Appalachians, Mid-Atlantic and lower to middle Ohio Valley. This rainfall may lead to flash, urban, small stream, and isolated minor river flooding.

1. Strong, damaging wind gusts, which could cause tree damage andpower outages, will continue to spread well inland across portionsof northeastern Alabama, northern Georgia, the Carolinas, andsoutheastern Virginia today due to Zeta's fast forward speed. Windgusts could be especially severe across the southern AppalachianMountains.

2. Through today, heavy rainfall is expected near and in advance of Zeta from portions of the central Appalachians, Mid-Atlantic and lower to middle Ohio Valley. This rainfall may lead to flash, urban, small stream, and isolated minor river flooding.

CHANGES WITH THIS ADVISORY:

The Tropical Storm Warning from Navarre to the Walton/Bay County Line, Florida has been canceled.

SUMMARY OF WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN EFFECT:

There are no coastal watches or warnings in effect.

For storm information specific to your area, including possible inland watches and warnings, please monitor products issued by your local National Weather Service forecast office.

CHANGES WITH THIS ADVISORY:

The Tropical Storm Warning from Navarre to the Walton/Bay County Line, Florida has been canceled.

SUMMARY OF WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN EFFECT:

There are no coastal watches or warnings in effect.

For storm information specific to your area, including possible inland watches and warnings, please monitor products issued by your local National Weather Service forecast office.

Key messages for Zeta can be found in the Tropical Cyclone Discussion under AWIPS header MIATCDAT3, WMO header WTNT43 KNHC, and on the web at www.hurricanes.gov/text/MIATCDAT3.shtml.

STORM SURGE: Water levels along the Central Gulf coast will gradually subside throughout the day. Consult products issued by your local National Weather Service forecast office for additional information.

WIND: Damaging winds, especially in gusts, are spreading across northern Georgia, western South Carolina, and western North Carolina. These winds will shift into other portions of North Carolina and southeastern Virginia later today. Wind gusts could be especially severe across the southern Appalachian Mountains.

RAINFALL: Areas of heavy rainfall, both in advance of Zeta and along the track of Zeta, will impact areas from the central Appalachians, MidAtlantic and lower to middle Ohio Valley through Thursday. Rainfall totals of 1 to 3 inches are expected across these areas, resulting in possible flash, urban, small stream, and isolated minor river flooding.

TORNADOES: A tornado or two is possible later today over the Carolinas and southern Virginia.

Key messages for Zeta can be found in the Tropical Cyclone Discussion under AWIPS header MIATCDAT3, WMO header WTNT43 KNHC, and on the web at www.hurricanes.gov/text/MIATCDAT3.shtml.

STORM SURGE: Water levels along the Central Gulf coast will gradually subside throughout the day. Consult products issued by your local National Weather Service forecast office for additional information.

WIND: Damaging winds, especially in gusts, are spreading across northern Georgia, western South Carolina, and western North Carolina. These winds will shift into other portions of North Carolina and southeastern Virginia later today. Wind gusts could be especially severe across the southern Appalachian Mountains.

RAINFALL: Areas of heavy rainfall, both in advance of Zeta and along the track of Zeta, will impact areas from the central Appalachians, MidAtlantic and lower to middle Ohio Valley through Thursday. Rainfall totals of 1 to 3 inches are expected across these areas, resulting in possible flash, urban, small stream, and isolated minor river flooding.

TORNADOES: A tornado or two is possible later today over the Carolinas and southern Virginia.

At 800 AM EDT (1200 UTC), the center of Tropical Storm Zeta was located near latitude 35.3 North, longitude 83.5 West. Zeta is racing toward the northeast near 39 mph (63 km/h). An even faster northeastward motion is expected later today, followed by a rapid eastnortheastward motion tonight and Friday. On the forecast track, the center of Zeta will move across portions of the southeastern U.S. this morning, across the MidAtlantic states this afternoon, and emerge over the western Atlantic by tonight.

Maximum sustained winds are near 60 mph (95 km/h) with higher gusts. Zeta is expected to become a nontropical galeforce low later today. The low should become absorbed by a frontal system over the western Atlantic by Friday night.

Tropicalstormforce winds extend outward up to 175 miles (280 km) from the center. A sustained wind of 41 mph (67 km/h) and a gust to 82 mph (131 km/h) was recently reported at Cashiers, North Carolina.

The estimated minimum central pressure based on surface observations is 990 mb (29.18 inches).

At 800 AM EDT (1200 UTC), the center of Tropical Storm Zeta was located near latitude 35.3 North, longitude 83.5 West. Zeta is racing toward the northeast near 39 mph (63 km/h). An even faster northeastward motion is expected later today, followed by a rapid eastnortheastward motion tonight and Friday. On the forecast track, the center of Zeta will move across portions of the southeastern U.S. this morning, across the MidAtlantic states this afternoon, and emerge over the western Atlantic by tonight.

Maximum sustained winds are near 60 mph (95 km/h) with higher gusts. Zeta is expected to become a nontropical galeforce low later today. The low should become absorbed by a frontal system over the western Atlantic by Friday night.

Tropicalstormforce winds extend outward up to 175 miles (280 km) from the center. A sustained wind of 41 mph (67 km/h) and a gust to 82 mph (131 km/h) was recently reported at Cashiers, North Carolina.

The estimated minimum central pressure based on surface observations is 990 mb (29.18 inches).

Surface observations and Doppler radar data indicate that Zetaweakened to a tropical storm around 0600 UTC when it was locatedover central Alabama. During the past few hours, the cyclone'sstructure has degraded further with the center no longer easilyapparent in radar images and convection appearing more ragged andasymmetric. The initial intensity is lowered to 50 kt for thisadvisory, and that could be a little generous. The minimumpressure is estimated to be 988 mb based on surface observations.

The storm continues to accelerate, and the latest initial motion is northeastward at 34 kt. Zeta is expected to race northeastward today in the fast steering flow between a potent mid- to upper-level low to its west and a high pressure ridge to its southeast. This pattern should take the cyclone across the southeast and Mid-Atlantic states throughout the day, before emerging over the western Atlantic this evening. An even faster east-northeastward motion is predicted tonight and on Friday until the cyclone dissipates by Friday night.

The tropical storm is forecast to weaken a little more during thenext several hours as it remains over land, and Zeta will likelybecome extratropical by the time it reaches the mid-Atlanticstates this afternoon. However, after that time, the models showthe cyclone leveling off in strength or perhaps evenre-intensifying over the western Atlantic before it becomesabsorbed into a frontal zone in 36 to 48 hours. The NHC intensityforecast follows the GFS and ECMWF models.

Surface observations and Doppler radar data indicate that Zetaweakened to a tropical storm around 0600 UTC when it was locatedover central Alabama. During the past few hours, the cyclone'sstructure has degraded further with the center no longer easilyapparent in radar images and convection appearing more ragged andasymmetric. The initial intensity is lowered to 50 kt for thisadvisory, and that could be a little generous. The minimumpressure is estimated to be 988 mb based on surface observations.

The storm continues to accelerate, and the latest initial motion is northeastward at 34 kt. Zeta is expected to race northeastward today in the fast steering flow between a potent mid- to upper-level low to its west and a high pressure ridge to its southeast. This pattern should take the cyclone across the southeast and Mid-Atlantic states throughout the day, before emerging over the western Atlantic this evening. An even faster east-northeastward motion is predicted tonight and on Friday until the cyclone dissipates by Friday night.

The tropical storm is forecast to weaken a little more during thenext several hours as it remains over land, and Zeta will likelybecome extratropical by the time it reaches the mid-Atlanticstates this afternoon. However, after that time, the models showthe cyclone leveling off in strength or perhaps evenre-intensifying over the western Atlantic before it becomesabsorbed into a frontal zone in 36 to 48 hours. The NHC intensityforecast follows the GFS and ECMWF models.

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