927 
 WTPZ45 KNHC 080834
 TCDEP5
 HURRICANE NORBERT DISCUSSION NUMBER  18
 NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL   EP152008
 200 AM PDT WED OCT 08 2008
  
 NORBERT HAS DEVELOPED A DISTINCT EYE SURROUNDED BY A RING OF VERY
 DEEP CONVECTION. THE UPPER-LEVEL OUTFLOW IS OUTSTANDING IN ALL
 QUADRANTS. T-NUMBERS HAVE INCREASED TO 5.5 ON THE DVORAK SCALES AND
 OBJECTIVE NUMBERS ARE A LITTLE BIT HIGHER.  THE INITIAL INTENSITY
 IS SET CONSERVATIVELY AT 100 KT. THIS MAKES NORBERT A CATEGORY
 THREE HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON HURRICANE SCALE...THE SECOND
 MAJOR HURRICANE OF THE 2008 EASTERN NORTH PACIFIC HURRICANE SEASON.
 GIVEN THE UPPER-LEVEL WIND PATTERN AND THE WARM SSTS...NORBERT
 COULD REACH CATEGORY FOUR STATUS AS INDICATED IN THE OFFICIAL
 FORECAST. BEYOND 48 HOURS THE SHEAR IS FORECAST TO INCREASE
 RESULTING IN WEAKENING. NEVERTHELESS...NORBERT COULD APPROACH BAJA
 CALIFORNIA AS A CATEGORY TWO OR THREE HURRICANE.  
 
 THE HURRICANE IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST OR 295 DEGREES AT
 9 KNOTS AROUND A STRONG RIDGE OVER THE SOUTHWESTERN UNITED STATES.
 IN A DAY OR SO...THE HURRICANE WILL REACH THE SOUTHWEST SIDE OF THE
 RIDGE AND SHOULD BEGIN TO TURN TO THE NORTH AND NORTH-NORTHEAST AS
 A BROAD MID LATITUDE TROUGH DEVELOPS OVER THE WESTERN UNITED STATES
 AND ADJACENT PACIFIC. MOST OF THE TRACK GUIDANCE FAVORS THIS
 SOLUTION BRINGING THE HURRICANE NEAR OR OVER BAJA CALIFORNIA IN
 ABOUT 72 HOURS.  THE LARGEST DIFFERENCE IS BEYOND 72 HOURS WHEN
 BOTH THE GFS AND THE ECMWF EITHER DISSIPATE THE CYCLONE OR KEEP IT
 NEARLY STATIONARY VERY CLOSE TO BAJA CALIFORNIA. THE REST OF THE
 RELIABLE GUIDANCE BRINGS NORBERT ACROSS BAJA CALIFORNIA AND THEN
 TOWARD MAINLAND MEXICO AS A WEAKENING TROPICAL CYCLONE...AND SO
 DOES THE OFFICIAL FORECAST. HOWEVER...ONE CANNOT RULE OUT THE
 SOLUTION PROVIDED BY THE GFS AND THE ECMWF.   
 
 WHILE IT IS STILL PREMATURE TO SAY WHAT KIND OF IMPACT NORBERT MAY
 HAVE ON BAJA CALIFORNIA...INTERESTS IN THE AREA...ESPECIALLY THE
 SOUTHERN PENINSULA...SHOULD MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF NORBERT.
  
  
 FORECAST POSITIONS AND MAX WINDS
  
 INITIAL      08/0900Z 16.1N 110.0W   100 KT
  12HR VT     08/1800Z 16.7N 111.1W   110 KT
  24HR VT     09/0600Z 17.5N 112.3W   115 KT
  36HR VT     09/1800Z 18.5N 113.0W   115 KT
  48HR VT     10/0600Z 20.0N 113.5W   100 KT
  72HR VT     11/0600Z 24.0N 112.5W    95 KT
  96HR VT     12/0600Z 27.5N 110.0W    40 KT...INLAND
 120HR VT     13/0600Z 31.5N 107.5W    20 KT...INLAND
  
 $$
 FORECASTER AVILA