Highlights

Fran was a major East Coast hurricane that caused about $1.6 billion dollars worth of damage to the Mid-Atlantic region. Because the damage from a hurricane can be so costly, weather forecasters try to predict as accurately as possible the path of a storm. For hurricane development, sea-surface temperatures need to be at least 26.5°C (80°F). When a hurricane moves over cooler water or makes landfall, it weakens. Therefore, it is important to look at sea-surface temperatures of cloud-free regions in a storm’s path to determine possible intensity changes.

What to Observe

• Hurricane Fran is under the influence of tropical winds and moving west
• Former Hurricane Edouard is under the influence of mid-latitude winds, moving east over cooler waters, and dissipating
• By 2215 UTC, Hurricane Fran has a closed eyewall as indicated by the red ring representing the region of coldest and tallest cloud tops

Status

• Approximately 48-60 hours prior to landfall