Global Weather Synopsis for the Week of 11/24/2013:
Winter Arrives in North America
By Blake Cotcamp
Meteorology Intern
Summary: In this Weekly Weather Forecast for Shipping, many parts of the globe will see their first snowfall of the season this week as winter begins to set in throughout the Northern Hemisphere. Of particular note for this onset is the arrival of the first significant winter storm for the Eastern United States this season, which could interfere with any Thanksgiving plans both personally and transport wise. Roads are expected to be slick with airport delays expected in the week leading up to Black Friday. The storm may pose significant challenges to stores looking to get a last minute shipment of product in stock before the weekend. Warm weather season hasn’t ended everywhere however, as a cyclone in the Bay of Bengal is poised to strike India later in the week. This tropical cyclone threatens ocean traffic transiting the port of Chennai, India and should be monitored closely.
North America
United States
It appears that the East Coast of the United States will be in for its first Nor’easter of the season this week as a storm system currently centered over Texas is forecast to move off the coast and intensify over the Atlantic. This could create some complications for Thanksgiving transportation, as the storm is expected to dump heavy rains along the East Coast for most of Wednesday (November 27). There is also a good chance for snowfall to occur in the Mid-Atlantic states, as cities like Washington D.C. and Philadelphia could receive 2-4 inches of snow on Wednesday afternoon. Airport delays may be expected at various cargo gateways, with road conditions potentially resulting in 1-2 day transit delays to ground shipments as well.
Source: National Center for Atmospheric Research
Europe
No significant weather threats forecast.
Asia
India
After dealing with a relatively weak tropical storm last week, India is facing a more significant tropical threat this week as Cyclone Lehar is currently churning towards the east coast of the country. It is forecast to be a Category 3 equivalent cyclone with 115 mph winds at landfall, which should occur somewhere slightly to the southwest of the city of Visakhapatnam on mid to late Thursday. This storm has the potential to cause significant delays along a large portion of India’s coastline on Thursday due to its high winds and heavy rainfall. In particular, shipments transiting the port of Chennai, India are at risk.
Source: Joint Typhoon Warning Center
Australia and Oceania
No significant weather threats forecast.
Atlantic Ocean
No significant weather threats forecast.
Pacific Ocean
No significant weather threats forecast.
Indian Ocean
As it progresses towards the coast of India, Cyclone Lehar will also create some very rough seas along its forecast path in the Bay of Bengal. As of 11:30 Eastern time on Sunday, Lehar was just below hurricane-equivalent status with 70 mph sustained winds. The storm is expected to steadily strengthen up until its landfall sometime on Thursday, meaning it will be at its most dangerous later in the week, as the possibility of a Category 4 peak strength can not be ruled out. Any shipping interests in the Bay of Bengal should keep a close eye on the progress of this cyclone.
Source: NOAA
About the Author: Blake Cotcamp is currently enrolled at Purdue University where he is completing his senior year and majoring in Meteorology. An avid weather buff since an early age, with a passion for tropical storm forecasting. Blake prefers the “real weather” of the U.S. Midwest to that of the boring, predictable weather of his native Southern California. When not chasing storms or reveling in the latest bout of bad weather, he can be reached at bcotcamp@purdue.edu