Good Saturday everyone. We continue to set the blog up with all the tracking tools you need to follow the path of Hurricane Irene. This continues to be a massive storm that will take an historic, once in a lifetime track.
Before the Irene toys, a few thoughts on he local weather.
– We will see a few clouds from Irene out there today… especially across the east. We should also have a nice breeze blowing as temps hit the low and mid 80s for many.
– Cooler temps will filter in behind Irene for Sunday and Monday. Highs will range from the upper 70s to low 80s with lows dipping into the 50s early next week. A stray shower will be possible for Sunday.
– Temps will begin to warm by the middle and end of next week as we head into Labor Day Weekend.
– A cold front should arrive on the scene at some point over the long weekend… likely toward the end of it. This looks to usher in the next threat for showers and thunderstorms with cooler air behind it.
– There is a lot of cool and cold air building up in Canada. Throwing that in for future reference! ![]()
Back to Irene…
This storm will slam the North Carolina shore early today then work almost due north toward the Jersey Shore by tonight and then into New York City early Sunday. A few thoughts on Irene…
– This storm has a very large wind field that will bring tropical storm and hurricane force winds to a whole lot of people. One must not get too caught up on the highest sustained winds near the eye because of this.
– The storm surge is going to be dramatic from the mid atlantic into coastal New England. The angle in which this storm is hitting is VERY BAD news for New York City and Long Island!
– Rainfall of 10″+ is likely along the track and this is coming on top of what was already the wettest August on record and will produce catastrophic flooding.
– Landfalling hurricanes also produce tornadoes and this threat may be ramped up even higher for parts of the mid atlantic into New England.
Let’s get to the slew of tracking toys…![]()

The track from the National Hurricane Center…![[Image of 3-day forecast, and coastal areas under a warning or a watch]](https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/storm_graphics/AT09/refresh/AL0911W_sm2+gif/032240W_sm.gif)
Ocracoke Island, NC![]()
Nags Head, NC![]()
New Bern, NC![]()
Elizabeth City, NC![]()
Kitty Hawk, NC

Cape Charles, VA![]()
Cape May, NJ![]()
Ocean City, NJ![]()
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I will add to this as needed through the day as the storm continues to crawl up the mid atlantic states toward New York City. Let’s hear your thoughts on Irene and feel free to post any cams or cool toys to help track the storm.
Have a great Saturday and take care.
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Just returned from an evening in DC. Traffic flow on the interstate(s) seems to be a bit heavier than normal. Nothing unprecedented but more congested than normal at this late hour. First heavy cloud bands are overhead and we have seen a brisk pick-up in breeze over the last two hours. It has been mainly calm all day long. The wildlife on Quantico tell the story though… we normally count 30-50 deer on the compound road at night… tonight… 4. Pretty interesting. Thinking about a drive up to Baltimore in the morning. We’ll see. Good night Bluegrass!
I have a question about the hurricane. The circulation of the storm is CCW, yet on the outer boundary the clouds appear to be moving CW (towards the NNE). Why is this? Is it because the storm is moving in that direction?
Thanks
http://www.accuweather.com/blogs/meteomadness/story/53551/snow-forecast-for-the-winter-of-20112012
I found this over at accu weather, a little winter talk for the upcoming season
Hurricanes have a cyclonic circulation at the surface (CCW). However, they have an anticyclonic (CW) circulation aloft. This is why you see the upper level clouds spiraling off to the NNE.
Heard and read a report of a 93 mph wind gust on Westhampton beach NY according to a 12:42pm ASOS reading. Thinking it’s inaccurate based on current conditions around that area.
The company who can build a web cam that can withstand tropical storm force winds will make a killing. Looking at the above, that company does not yet exist.
A quick update from my blog…
Wallops Island VA getting walloped with 62mph wind gusts as of 2pm reading.
Over 477,000 Dominion customers with no power, mostly in SE Virginia including Norfolk.
Richmond reports 160,000 outages.
Cape Hatteras with 74mph wind gust as of 3pm report and pressure reading of 28.67″.
Irene’s eye will past near or just east of Norfolk soon…
Listening to Fire and Rescue channel in Norfolk VA…lots of action going on.
http://www.radioreference.com/apps/audio/?action=wp&feedId=1387
Sorry if I repeated this…
Norfolk VA seeing lots of action. Follow the action on this Fire and Rescue channel…
http://www.radioreference.com/apps/audio/?action=wp&feedId=1387
Norfolk VA suffering….been following it on police scanners – lots of trees, power lines, some flooding.
Tried posting the fire and rescue channel here but won’t take.
See it on my blog
Even the toughest webcam won’t work without power.
Fortunately, Irene appears nowhere near as bad as the main stream media have been advertising. They have been pushing an ad campaign similar to a blockbuster disaster movie.
Sad watching TV news and the reporters almost trying to will a more serious event. The flooding will be an issues, but nowhere near as bad as if a cat 2 or higher. This event will be a tropical storm about half way up the expected path, rather than the gloom and doom the media appeared to be expecting/hoping for. They need their ratings and opinions validated, you know.
Not referring to CB, but am the usual suspects on national TV. The media should be thankful. Things are bad enough with downed lines, trees and flooding without it being a more severe event destroying houses and worse, on a mass scale.
good afternoon from the town of wayne, wva. it is 6:00pm as of this writing. i was just wondering why chris did not post is usual report for saturday morning over at wsaz.com. although i can basically get the same info right here on this web site and i do think this web site is so much more better than the 1 at wsaz.com i know chris is famous for saying that the blog never takes a day off, well, chris, my friend, you have about 6 hours to get a post on at wsaz.com or you run of 3 plus years without taking a day off will be history on that blog. thank you for your time and may god bless you and your family.
Fatalities are being reported in Virginia…Curfews are going in effect…water main breaks…powerlines and trees all over the place, a route from the Outer Banks to Manteo cut off because of powerlines downed…Property damage due to trees on houses…massive power outages now numbering over 700,000 Dominion customers
Hard to grasp how bad it would be if a Cat 2 or higher. The “good” news is the land should make it lose energy, but the bad news is the rains have more time to drop.
Bubba,
In regards to your comments about the overhype—I’m not so sure. Of course, most of the people who visit this blog are pretty weather conscious, as opposed to others who can be downright oblivious to it.
My opinion is that the storm may have been overhyped just a little—but the sheer size of Irene and the impacts it WILL have on tens of millions is still more than enough to warrant an exercise of caution. If most people were left to live their lives “business as usual,” you would see more bad news rolling across the bottom of the screen—willing to bet on it.
Good point. The issue is the Hollywood level ad campaign by the main stream news media and not the mets.
Bubba
I think this is the first time I have EVER seen you post in the summer. E V E R!!!!!
I don’t think its been overblown that much…but there is an element of hype going on. This will get worse as it heads into NYC. The winds on this storm are actually more aloft than at the surface. High rise buildings in NYC may see some damage. Bigger problem is flooding. They’ve had lots of rain in the last week…20 inches is NOT what they need.
You might be right about that. I just get disgusted with the disaster mongering media that try to treat these events like a Hollywood disaster movie and then link their political tinged agendas to the event. This stuff is real and the weather to all effect, is what it is.
You might be right about that (my first summer posts). Folks in the east get bad either way. More energy event with higher winds, or a slower moving tropical event with a LOT of rain and enough wind force to knock poles and trees from a saturated ground.
Agreed. Just the drama kings and queens we see on national TV get to me. The seems to REALLY want bad stuff to happen. For various reasons, it seems.
This has to be one of the most over-hyped storms in history. Amazing what the media will do for ratings.
Watch the media spin this event for all they can, since right on cue, a certain person has “Taken charge of the command center”. Jeesh.