Community Corner

Tropical Storm Sandy May or May Not Hit New England Next Week

It's still too early to know for sure whether Sandy will visit New England.

Meteorologists are now saying that many models are showing Tropical Storm Sandy will head off to sea after becoming a hurricane before reaching New England early next week, but there are still some models that show it could turn toward the east coast.  

It’s still too early to know for sure.

The National Hurricane Center predicts Sandy will become a category 1 hurricane on Wednesday when it hits Jamaica.

Find out what's happening in North Andoverwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

On his weather blog on the 7News website, Chris Lambert said the storm will likely head for open waters of the Atlantic after hitting the Bahamas later this week, but it’s still early and there is a shot it may head toward New England and hit this area on Monday or Tuesday of next week.

Lambert wrote:

Find out what's happening in North Andoverwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

These models are relying on a very usual set-up that, in part, rarely verifies a week down the line. That set-up would be the northern branch of the jet stream coming down and collapsing across the eastern 1/2 of the country with a rush of much colder than normal air all the way into the Deep South. In this case, the steering winds that is the jet stream, would capture Sandy and draw it back toward the coastline. As Sandy phases with the jet stream, it transitions into a power ocean storm that takes on more non-tropical characteristics with an expanding wind and rain field. It's the phasing part, and bringing the storm back that would be the most usual part that rarely verifies.

Lambert added it is still too early at this point to accurately gauge Sandy’s impact on the area, but it is something to watch.   

“I don't want to be dismissive on it as there are some plausible arguments for this solution given the overall pattern,” he added. 


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