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Tropical Storm Alberto (1988)
Encyclopedia
Tropical Storm Alberto was a tropical cyclone
of the 1988 Atlantic hurricane season
that became a tropical storm unusually far north. Alberto developed from a trough
of low pressure
off the coast of South Carolina
on August 5. It tracked quickly northeastward, and intensified into a tropical storm at its record latitude on August 7 while located about 60 miles (95 km) east of the Massachusetts
island of Nantucket. Alberto continued its fast forward motion, and struck western Nova Scotia
late on August 7. It became extratropical
the next day, and dissipated shortly thereafter to the north of Newfoundland. Alberto produced light rainfall and gusty winds across its path. No damage was reported.
of low pressure
developed off the coast of South Carolina
. Satellite imagery indicated the presence of a low-level circulation, and the system developed into Tropical Depression Two on August 5 while located about 130 miles (210 km) south-southeast of Cape Fear, North Carolina
. The depression steadily tracked northeastward. Operationally, it was not classified as a tropical cyclone until 24 hours later, while located about 135 miles (220 km) east of Virginia Beach, Virginia
. Under the influence of an approaching weak frontal trough
, the depression accelerated its forward motion to the northeast. The trough also enhanced the upper-level outflow of the depression, and at 1200 UTC on August 7 the depression intensified into Tropical Storm Alberto while located about 60 miles (95 km) east of Nantucket, Massachusetts
.
Shortly after becoming a tropical storm, the National Hurricane Center
issued a tropical storm warning
from Bar Harbor
to Eastport, Maine
. Alberto continued quickly to the northeast at a forward speed of around 29 mph (47 km/h). Due to its fast forward motion, convection
remained fairly minimal, resulting in little change in intensity. Late on August 7, Alberto made landfall
on the western coast of Nova Scotia
near St. Marys Bay. It briefly re-emerged into the Bay of Fundy
before crossing the Isthmus of Chignecto
and Prince Edward Island
. Alberto quickly lost its remaining convection over the cold waters of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence
, and became an extratropical cyclone
on August 8. Shortly thereafter, the extratropical remnant dissipated in the Atlantic Ocean
to the north of Newfoundland.
, Alberto resulted in brief durations of heavy rainfall and thunderstorms. Rainfall reached about 0.25 inches (8 mm) in Lewiston
, with higher totals of over 2.4 inches (60 mm) reported near Millinocket
. No damage was reported in Maine. The storm produced peak wind gusts of 48 mph (78 km/h) at Yarmouth, Nova Scotia
. Alberto dropped light to moderate amounts of precipitation across its track including a report of 1.78 inches (45.1 mm) in Saint John, New Brunswick
, most of which fell in a short amount of time. The rainfall led to localized flooding, which briefly closed some streets. The extratropical remnants of Alberto also produced light rain and some clouds along western Newfoundland.
Tropical cyclone
A tropical cyclone is a storm system characterized by a large low-pressure center and numerous thunderstorms that produce strong winds and heavy rain. Tropical cyclones strengthen when water evaporated from the ocean is released as the saturated air rises, resulting in condensation of water vapor...
of the 1988 Atlantic hurricane season
1988 Atlantic hurricane season
The 1988 Atlantic hurricane season was a moderately active season that proved costly and deadly, with 15 tropical cyclones directly affecting land. The season officially began on June 1, 1988, and lasted until November 30, 1988, although activity began on May 30 when a tropical...
that became a tropical storm unusually far north. Alberto developed from a trough
Trough (meteorology)
A trough is an elongated region of relatively low atmospheric pressure, often associated with fronts.Unlike fronts, there is not a universal symbol for a trough on a weather chart. The weather charts in some countries or regions mark troughs by a line. In the United States, a trough may be marked...
of low pressure
Low pressure area
A low-pressure area, or "low", is a region where the atmospheric pressure at sea level is below that of surrounding locations. Low-pressure systems form under areas of wind divergence which occur in upper levels of the troposphere. The formation process of a low-pressure area is known as...
off the coast of South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
on August 5. It tracked quickly northeastward, and intensified into a tropical storm at its record latitude on August 7 while located about 60 miles (95 km) east of the Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
island of Nantucket. Alberto continued its fast forward motion, and struck western Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
late on August 7. It became extratropical
Extratropical cyclone
Extratropical cyclones, sometimes called mid-latitude cyclones or wave cyclones, are a group of cyclones defined as synoptic scale low pressure weather systems that occur in the middle latitudes of the Earth having neither tropical nor polar characteristics, and are connected with fronts and...
the next day, and dissipated shortly thereafter to the north of Newfoundland. Alberto produced light rainfall and gusty winds across its path. No damage was reported.
Meteorological history
On August 4, a troughTrough (meteorology)
A trough is an elongated region of relatively low atmospheric pressure, often associated with fronts.Unlike fronts, there is not a universal symbol for a trough on a weather chart. The weather charts in some countries or regions mark troughs by a line. In the United States, a trough may be marked...
of low pressure
Low pressure area
A low-pressure area, or "low", is a region where the atmospheric pressure at sea level is below that of surrounding locations. Low-pressure systems form under areas of wind divergence which occur in upper levels of the troposphere. The formation process of a low-pressure area is known as...
developed off the coast of South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
. Satellite imagery indicated the presence of a low-level circulation, and the system developed into Tropical Depression Two on August 5 while located about 130 miles (210 km) south-southeast of Cape Fear, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
. The depression steadily tracked northeastward. Operationally, it was not classified as a tropical cyclone until 24 hours later, while located about 135 miles (220 km) east of Virginia Beach, Virginia
Virginia Beach, Virginia
Virginia Beach is an independent city located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia, on the Atlantic Ocean at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay...
. Under the influence of an approaching weak frontal trough
Surface weather analysis
Surface weather analysis is a special type of weather map that provides a view of weather elements over a geographical area at a specified time based on information from ground-based weather stations...
, the depression accelerated its forward motion to the northeast. The trough also enhanced the upper-level outflow of the depression, and at 1200 UTC on August 7 the depression intensified into Tropical Storm Alberto while located about 60 miles (95 km) east of Nantucket, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
.
Shortly after becoming a tropical storm, the National Hurricane Center
National Hurricane Center
The National Hurricane Center , located at Florida International University in Miami, Florida, is the division of the National Weather Service responsible for tracking and predicting weather systems within the tropics between the Prime Meridian and the 140th meridian west poleward to the 30th...
issued a tropical storm warning
Tropical cyclone warnings and watches
Warnings and watches are two levels of alert issued by national weather forecasting bodies to coastal areas threatened by the imminent approach of a tropical cyclone of tropical storm or hurricane intensity. They are notices to the local population and civil authorities to make appropriate...
from Bar Harbor
Bar Harbor, Maine
Bar Harbor is a town on Mount Desert Island in Hancock County, Maine, United States. As of the 2010 census, its population is 5,235. Bar Harbor is a famous summer colony in the Down East region of Maine. It is home to the College of the Atlantic, Jackson Laboratory and Mount Desert Island...
to Eastport, Maine
Eastport, Maine
Eastport is a small city in Washington County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,640 at the 2000 census. The principal island is Moose Island, which is connected to the mainland by causeway...
. Alberto continued quickly to the northeast at a forward speed of around 29 mph (47 km/h). Due to its fast forward motion, convection
Convection
Convection is the movement of molecules within fluids and rheids. It cannot take place in solids, since neither bulk current flows nor significant diffusion can take place in solids....
remained fairly minimal, resulting in little change in intensity. Late on August 7, Alberto made landfall
Landfall (meteorology)
Landfall is the event of a tropical cyclone or a waterspout coming onto land after being over water. When a waterspout makes landfall it is reclassified as a tornado, which can then cause damage inland...
on the western coast of Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
near St. Marys Bay. It briefly re-emerged into the Bay of Fundy
Bay of Fundy
The Bay of Fundy is a bay on the Atlantic coast of North America, on the northeast end of the Gulf of Maine between the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, with a small portion touching the U.S. state of Maine...
before crossing the Isthmus of Chignecto
Isthmus of Chignecto
The Isthmus of Chignecto is an isthmus bordering the Maritime provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia which connects the Nova Scotia peninsula with North America....
and Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island is a Canadian province consisting of an island of the same name, as well as other islands. The maritime province is the smallest in the nation in both land area and population...
. Alberto quickly lost its remaining convection over the cold waters of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence
Gulf of Saint Lawrence
The Gulf of Saint Lawrence , the world's largest estuary, is the outlet of North America's Great Lakes via the Saint Lawrence River into the Atlantic Ocean...
, and became an extratropical cyclone
Extratropical cyclone
Extratropical cyclones, sometimes called mid-latitude cyclones or wave cyclones, are a group of cyclones defined as synoptic scale low pressure weather systems that occur in the middle latitudes of the Earth having neither tropical nor polar characteristics, and are connected with fronts and...
on August 8. Shortly thereafter, the extratropical remnant dissipated in the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
to the north of Newfoundland.
Impact
In MaineMaine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
, Alberto resulted in brief durations of heavy rainfall and thunderstorms. Rainfall reached about 0.25 inches (8 mm) in Lewiston
Lewiston, Maine
Lewiston is a city in Androscoggin County in Maine, and the second-largest city in the state. The population was 41,592 at the 2010 census. It is one of two principal cities of and included within the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine metropolitan New England city and town area and the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine...
, with higher totals of over 2.4 inches (60 mm) reported near Millinocket
Millinocket, Maine
Millinocket is a former mill town in Penobscot County, Maine, United States. The population was 5,203 at the 2000 census. Millinocket is both a forest products and recreational area.-History:...
. No damage was reported in Maine. The storm produced peak wind gusts of 48 mph (78 km/h) at Yarmouth, Nova Scotia
Yarmouth, Nova Scotia
Yarmouth is a town and fishing port located on the Gulf of Maine in rural southwestern Nova Scotia, Canada. It is the shire town of Yarmouth County. The town is located in the heart of the world's largest lobster fishing grounds and has Canada's highest lobster catch.- History :The townsite may...
. Alberto dropped light to moderate amounts of precipitation across its track including a report of 1.78 inches (45.1 mm) in Saint John, New Brunswick
Saint John, New Brunswick
City of Saint John , or commonly Saint John, is the largest city in the province of New Brunswick, and the first incorporated city in Canada. The city is situated along the north shore of the Bay of Fundy at the mouth of the Saint John River. In 2006 the city proper had a population of 74,043...
, most of which fell in a short amount of time. The rainfall led to localized flooding, which briefly closed some streets. The extratropical remnants of Alberto also produced light rain and some clouds along western Newfoundland.
See also
- Other tropical cyclones named Alberto