Frankenstorm Sandy and Her Impact on the U.S.

I felt like Sandy deserved her own blog post. At the last advisory we had this:

BULLETIN HURRICANE SANDY INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY NUMBER 13A NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL182012 200 PM EDT THU OCT 25 2012 ...CENTER OF SANDY MOVING BETWEEN LONG ISLAND AND GREAT EXUMA... SUMMARY OF 200 PM EDT...1800 UTC...

INFORMATION ----------------------------------------------

LOCATION...23.5N 75.4W ABOUT 25 MI...40 KM E OF GREAT EXUMA ISLAND ABOUT 125 MI...200 KM SE OF ELEUTHERA
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...105 MPH...165 KM/H
PRESENT MOVEMENT...N OR 5 DEGREES AT 20 MPH...32 KM/H
MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...963 MB...28.44 INCHES

With increased upper air temps and a 4mb drop in pressure you might expect Sandy to be getting stronger, but wind shear is helping to negate some of those effects. Once Sandy pulls away from an upper level low to it's west, she should begin a more NW motion before again turning more northerly before AGAIN turning NW before landfall. 

This from the Hydrometeorological Prediction Center:

PRELIMINARY EXTENDED FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NWS HYDROMETEOROLOGICAL PREDICTION CENTER COLLEGE PARK MD  
942 AM EDT THU OCT 25 2012  

VALID 12Z MON OCT 29 2012 - 12Z THU NOV 01 2012  


...HIGH IMPACT MERGING OF ENERGETIC SYSTEMS ANTICIPATED OFF THE  
MID ATLANTIC COAST...  

PRELIMINARY UPDATE...  

DESPITE A MODEST CLUSTER OF OUTLYING DETERMINISTIC SOLUTIONS AND  
ENSEMBLE MEMBERS FROM THE VARIOUS MODELING CENTERS, THE LION'S  
SHARE OF GUIDANCE INDICATES THAT THE CIRCULATION ASSOCIATED WITH  
HURRICANE SANDY WILL PASS CLOSE ENOUGH TO THE AMPLIFYING POLAR  
TROUGH OVER THE EASTERN UNITED STATES TO BECOME INCORPORATED INTO  
A HYBRID VORTEX OVER THE MID ATLANTIC AND NORTHEAST NEXT TUESDAY.  
THE HIGH DEGREE OF BLOCKING FROM EASTERN NORTH AMERICA ACROSS THE  
ENTIRE ATLANTIC BASIN IS EXPECTED TO ALLOW THIS UNUSUAL MERGER TO  
TAKE PLACE, AND ONCE THE COMBINED GYRE MATERIALIZES, IT SHOULD  
SETTLE BACK TOWARD THE INTERIOR NORTHEAST THROUGH HALLOWEEN,  
INVITING PERHAPS A GHOULISH NICKNAME FOR THE CYCLONE ALONG THE  
LINES OF "FRANKENSTORM", AN ALLUSION TO MARY SHELLEY'S GOTHIC  
CREATURE OF SYNTHESIZED ELEMENTS.  

AS IS OFTEN THE CASE, WHEN ONE PART OF THE NATION IS EXPERIENCING  
A VERY ENERGETIC ATMOSPHERE DISTURBANCE, THE REMAINDER IS  
RELATIVELY CALM. THIS EVENT SHOULD NOT PROVE THE EXCEPTION, WITH A  
FAIRLY BENIGN FEED OF PACIFIC AIR INTO MOST OF THE WESTERN AND  
CENTRAL STATES. THE FAR WEST, PARTICULAR NORTH OF CALIFORNIA, WILL  
HAVE ENOUGH SUSTAINED ONSHORE FLOW TO KEEP THE PERIOD WET AND  
UNSETTLED.