Hurricane Chris (2018)

Storm Active: July 6-12

During the first couple days of July, an disturbance formed in the subtropical Atlantic southeast of Bermuda. Over the next few days, it moved slowly northwestward and environmental conditions gradually improved for development. On July 5, the system acquired a weak low-pressure center. This became someone better defined that day, but thunderstorm activity remained quite limited. It increased on July 6, however, and the system was classified Tropical Depression Three well offshore of the Carolinas.

That night, it turned toward the north and became somewhat more organized over the warm waters. Surface pressure were still high, however, and the system's maximum winds increased only slowly. Meanwhile, steering currents collapsed and the depression moved very little on July 7. Most thunderstorm activity was displaced south and southeast of the center, keeping coastal North Carolina, which was not far to the northwest, dry. A reformation of the surface circulation to the south allowed the system to organize further and strengthen into Tropical Storm Chris by early on July 8. The next day saw gradual strengthening as the circulation tightened, but dry air intrusion prevented Chris from closing off an eyewall. By that evening, the system was on the verge of hurricane strength and finally began to move slowly toward the northeast. Though it began to move away from land, high surf continued to pound the coastline.

Since it had been stationary for days, Chris had caused cold waters to upwell underneath it (due to its strong winds). Though this decrease in temperature was mitigated somewhat by the steady flow of warm Gulf stream waters, it slowed the cyclone's intensification. However, once it started moving, the system rapidly intensified. Late on July 10, it reached its peak intensity as a category 2 hurricane with 105 mph winds and a pressure of 970 mb. As it accelerated northeast, it began to encounter cooler water, weaken, and become less symmetric. Soon, it weakened to a tropical storm and was quickly transitioning to an extratropical system. Chris became fully extratropical on July 12 as it raced northeast over cold north Atlantic waters. The post-tropical cyclone made landfall in southeastern Newfoundland that night, bringing wind gusts to near hurricane force and brief but heavy rains.

The above image shows Hurricane Chris strengthening off the U.S. east coast. Chris was the earliest second hurricane to develop in the Atlantic since 2005.

Chris did not affect land directly as a tropical cyclone, but made landfall in Newfoundland as a post-tropical cyclone.