How Big Could this Storm Be?
By Quincy Vagell on October 23, 2012, 10:30am Last modified: October 24, 2012, 2:16pm
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Trends continue to indicate a strong and LARGE storm along the East Coast.
As the potential storm nears, some more details are working on being resolved. One thing that has been fairly consistent with the forecast models is the size of this storm.
***CAUTION is urged as these forecasts are NOT set in stone***
Discussion:
The image above shows the GFDL (tropical model) and the ECMWF's wind fields on Sunday. The ECMWF brings the storm into the Northeast, while the GFDL is a near miss out to sea, so it's good to compare these two differing forecasts.
Overall, the similarities in the strength of the storm are impressive.
When looking at the wind field, both models indicate a Category 1 or 2 hurricane, OR some sort of hybrid system (a mix between tropical and non-tropical)
The details of the exact wind speeds are not important right now.
What is important is how the Tropical Storm-force wind field extends 700 miles.
This means that a massive area of real estate could be affected by strong winds.
Comparing the wind field to Tropical Storm/Hurricane Irene:
When Irene was off the Carolina coast, the Tropical Storm-force wind field was only a little over half of the size of what is forecast for the weekend storm/Sandy. This means that the wind field was about 400 miles from north to sound, as compared to the 700 miles being forecast with the upcoming storm.
Note that as Irene moved north, although it weakened, the wind field expanded. 
Stay tuned to WXedge.com for all of the latest details on the potential East Coast storm.
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