Tropical Storm Danny Passes Close to the Outer Banks, Brings Fun Surf
Tropical Storm Danny was almost a non-event on the Outer Banks. The storm drew attention throughout the week because it’s projected path brought it precariously close to the delicate strip of barrier islands. Luckily, Danny had some bark but lacked the bite.
The storm passed the Outer Banks on Friday evening. Rains and winds picked up, but most of the passage was cloaked in darkness and missed by the slumbering population of residents and vacationers. As Saturday arrived, the gorgeous Carolina skies brightened and the beaches filled up for a picture-perfect late August day on the Outer Banks.
Unfortunately, dangerous rip currents kept swimmers out of the water, but surfers were out in force. From Hatteras through Corolla, surfers hunted for the right spot that would offer the best waves. The surf was about 8 feet high and semi-clean, but closing out pretty quickly in most spots. Not the perfect OBX surf day, but you really can’t beat 80 degree air, 70 degree water, and head high waves…even if they are closing out.
A new storm is developing in the tropics, but at this time it doesn’t seem to be a threat to the Outer Banks.
Invest 94 Computer Models
Tropical Storm Danny Brings the Outer Banks a Storm Alert and Surf
As of Friday morning, Topical Storm Danny is barely a tropical storm as winds drop, however, the Outer Banks is still expecting rain, winds, increased surf and rip currents. Now barely a tropical storm, Danny’s maximum sustained winds fell to 40 miles per hour. There is potential for some strengthening over next 12 hours, however Danny is currently poorly organized and struggling through wind shear, so it shouldn’t strengthen significantly.
On Thursday, The National Hurricane Center issued a tropical storm watch for the Outer Banks through Saturday, with windy and rainy conditions possible from Tropical Storm Danny. The watch, issued at 5 p.m. Thursday, covers the Outer Banks from Cape Lookout to Duck in Dare County and the Albemarle and Pamlico sounds. The watch indicates that tropical storm conditions, with winds in excess of 39 mph, are possible through Saturday.
Most tracking models keep the heart of the storm away from the U.S. East Coast, and the Outer Banks. Danny is about 350 miles south of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. It is forecasted to move northwest at 10 mph and then turn north and northeast while gaining forward speed.
On this course, Danny should pass near the Outer Banks overnight, approach the New England coast late Saturday and move over Nova Scotia and Newfoundland on Sunday.
Increased swell is starting to show on the Outer Banks, and hopefully conditions will cooperate to create some great OBX surf. As of this morning, the weather was ideal with air temperatures approaching 80 degrees and water temperatures in the mid 70’s. The waves are starting to line up, but not entirely clean and still in the waist to chest range. It is a great paddleboard and longboard day though.
Tropical Storm Danny Forecast
Outer Banks Surf Forecast
Tropical Storm Danny On Course to Breeze by Outer Banks
Tropical Storm Danny is moving westward towards the Outer Banks, but the current forecasts have it turning north and heading up the East Coast prior to making landfall.
NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration): TROPICAL STORM DANNY IS FORECAST TO BECOME A MINIMAL HURRICANE AS IT PASSES EAST OF THE OUTER BANKS FRIDAY NIGHT. GUSTY WINDS…LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN AND ROUGH SURF WILL BE POSSIBLE ALONG THE COAST FRIDAY NIGHT AND EARLY SATURDAY AS DANNY MOVES BY OVER THE OFFSHORE WATERS. AT THIS TIME THE FORECAST TRACK IS FAR ENOUGH OFFSHORE TO KEEP THE STRONGEST WINDS AND HEAVIEST RAIN EAST OF THE REGION…HOWEVER A SLIGHT SHIFT TO THE WEST COULD GREATLY INCREASE THE IMPACTS.
The Outer Banks seems secure for now, possibly some wind and rain, but no major impact; however, as the NOAA report indicates a small shift in course could change the impact significantly. Danny needs continued monitoring.
Currently, the OBX surf is predicted to increase over the next few days.
Tropical Storm Danny…More Outer Banks Surf?!
The 2009 Hurricane Season made a late debut in the Atlantic. The first named hurricane didn’t move up the East Coast until the middle of August, but it seems a late start doesn’t necessarily correlate to lower levels of activity.
Hurricane Bill pushed past the Outer Banks last weekend and left some great OBX surf in it’s wake. Now Tropical Storm Danny is forming in the Atlantic hurricane basin and threatening a close call for the Outer Banks by Saturday.
Tropical Storm Danny formed in the Atlantic Ocean east of the Bahamas on Wednesday and set a course that could take it near North Carolina’s Outer Banks and the northeastern U.S. states as a hurricane by the weekend. Danny is expected to gather strength over the Atlantic and could be a Category 1 hurricane by the weekend.
It is too early to forecast a precise path, but the current forecasts call for Danny to stay east of the Outer Banks. However, forecasters say the average error in their forecast three days in advance is about 200 miles.
Most computer models have the storm staying well off the U.S. East Coast, but one forecast shows it passing very close to the Outer Banks and heading up the coast.
Hopefully Danny follows a similar path to Bill and sends great surf but spares any potential damage. The storm’s progress will need to be monitored over the next few days.
The silver lining is that the Outer Banks will get some increased swell over the next few days. Hopefully the conditions line up for some great surf!
Tropical Storm Danny Forecast
Tropical Storm Danny Computer Models
Outer Banks Surf Forecast
Hurricane Bill Sends Great Waves to the Outer Banks
After a slow start the 2009 Hurricane Season, Hurricane Bill, the first named hurricane of the year, passed by the Outer Banks on Saturday and sent the OBX some major swell.
Waves started to pickup Friday.
By Saturday the surf was mostly too messy and too large for much surfing, and definitely no swimming as the current was very strong and rip currents were prevalent. Saturday started out nice, but fog set in early and the seas grew rough as the day wore on.
By Sunday, Bill was passed, the sun was starting to shine and the swell left in Bill’s wake created ideal OBX waves.
Monday is even seeing some great leftoevers.
Waves from Hurricane Bill Starting to Arrive on the Outer Banks
Surf is up on the Outer Banks. Swell from Hurricane Bill is starting to arrive this morning, and the intensity of the surf will increase through Sunday when it is forecasted to peak somewhere in the neighborhood of 16 foot waves!
This morning the waves are about shoulder high and pretty consistent; some beautiful lines are forming on the OBX. Air temps will be in the 90’s over the next few days, and water temps in the low 70’s. The currents are already gaining strength. Please use caution in the water, and review rip current preparedness.
Hurricane Bill is becoming somewhat disorganized, but still a major hurricane. Maximum sustained winds have decreased to about 115mph making it a Category 3 storm. Bill is moving northwest at about 17 mph and is expected to move gradually to a north-northwest path later Friday. Bill’s center is currently about 425 miles south of Bermuda and about 865 southeast of Cape Hatteras, N.C., and the center is expected to pass between Bermuda and the Outer Banks Saturday.
Hurricane Bill Forecasted to Deliver Great Outer Banks Surf
Hurricane Bill is shaping up to be a surfer’s dream on the Outer Banks.
Hurricane Bill became a Category 4 storm with top sustained winds near 135 mph early Wednesday, and forecasters said it could get even stronger as it builds over the open Atlantic.
Early Wednesday, Bill was centered about 460 miles east of the Leeward Islands and moving west-northwest near 16 mph. The hope is that Bill will move directly between Bermuda and the eastern coast of the U.S. without making landfall.
The OBX can expect significant wave swells and rip currents in the next few days. Strong caution is advised due to rough surf. Please review rip current preparedness.
Hurricane Bill 5 Day Forecast
Rip Current Preparedness
OBX Surf Forecast
Hurricane Bill Update. Great Outer Banks Surf on the Way?
Mother Nature is unpredictable, but at this point, it seems Hurricane Bill is lining up for a best case scenario for the East Coast…especially if you are a surfer.
The current forecasted track for Bill puts it between Bermuda and the East Coast. This is an ideal scenario for great surf on the Outer Banks.
Bill became the first hurricane of the season on Monday morning, and reached category 2 strength Monday evening.
As of 11 a.m., Bill had sustained winds near 105 miles per hour. Further strengthening is expected and the system could become a major hurricane (category three or higher) over the next day.
The current forecast track keeps Bill north of the Lesser Antilles and heading in the general direction of Bermuda, or between Bermuda and the Outer Banks, over the weekend.
Hurricane Bill Forecast
Surf Forecast
Outer Banks Hurricane Update
Claudette is losing strength, but Bill is gaining.
Tropical Storm Claudette made landfall as a 50 mile per hour tropical storm late Sunday night near the east end of Santa Rosa Island, Florida, and will lose strength as it moves inland.
Ana has also dissipated and is no longer a tropical depression.
However, Hurricane Bill may become the first major hurricane of the Atlantic tropical season.
Bill reached hurricane strength Monday morning in the Central Atlantic, and is now located about 975 miles east of the Lesser Antilles. Bill has strengthened and maximum sustained winds are now at 90 mph. There is a chance that Bill could go through rapid intensification in the next 24 to 30 hours. Bill is forecast to become a major hurricane (category three or higher) in about 36 hours.
The forecast is for Bill to move west-northwest through the open tropical Atlantic over the next few days. The current forecast track calls for Bill to miss the Leeward Islands and Puerto Rico to the north.
There’s a good chance that rough surf may impact the East Coast of the United States this weekend and early next week if Bill follows its current forecast path.
Hurrican Bill 5 Day Forecast
Outer Banks Hurricane Season
The 2009 hurricane season is off to a slow start. 2009 has seen relatively low activity when compared to previous years. Generally, a named storm forms sometime in early July; yet mid-August is approaching and the season is without it’s “A” storm. Mother Nature seems to be shining on the Atlantic hurricane basin.
Experts believe that the effects of the El Nino conditions, which formed in the past two months over the Pacific Ocean, are dampening the hurricane season. At the beginning of hurricane season (June 1), experts were calling for 12 named storms; predictions have now been scaled back to 10.
However, in the Northern Atlantic Ocean, a distinct hurricane season occurs from June 1 to November 30, sharply peaking from late August through September.
Is the first named storm on the horizon? There is currently a tropical depression (TD2) forming off the coast of Africa that is showing signs of strengthening with a 57% chance of reaching tropical storm force winds in the next 48 hours.
Hopefully Mother Nature will continue her favorable ways, however she has proven to be a fickle force to reckon with; it’s always worth considering vacation insurance.
Check here for updates as storms develop.
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