Tropical Storm Olga (2019)

Storm Active: October 25

During the latter part of October, a tropical wave moved across the Caribbean and toward central America. As it passed near Belize around October 22, it began to exhibit disorganized thunderstorm activity. The system moved west-northwestward over the following days but did not develop further until emerging into the Bay of Campeche. On October 24, a circulation began to spin up in earnest over water west of the Yucatan Peninsula and convection increased markedly. Already, a autumn cold front approaching from the northwest was beginning to interact with the developing low. Nevertheless, it managed to become Tropical Depression Seventeen during the morning of October 25.

A few hours later it strengthened into Tropical Storm Olga. The front accelerated the newly formed Olga north-northeast that afternoon and its circulation elongated. Aircraft data collected during the evening suggested that the center had become embedded within the frontal boundary, and that a clear temperature gradient existed across the two sides of the circulation separated by the front axis. Thus, Olga was deemed post-tropical, only 12 hours after initially becoming a tropical cyclone. That night, ex-Olga made landfall in Louisiana. The combined system brought very heavy rain and widespread wind gusts to gale force, with some reaching 70 mph. Olga's tropical moisture drove up rain totals with the storm for the next few days as it pushed eastward.

The above image shows Tropical Storm Olga on October 25 interacting with the front.

Just like Nestor before it, Olga was a short-lived tropical cyclone in the Gulf of Mexico whose primary impacts occurred after merging with a front.