Meteorological History
A tropical wave moving westward off the African coast on October 1, 2001 entered the tropical Atlantic. The wave's organization changed little until October 4 as it moved westward, when curved banding features began to increase. However, little improvement in the wave's organization occurred until October 6 after continuing to move westward for two days, when an area of low pressure was identified by the National Hurricane Center. Afterward, the cloudiness became more concentrated, and the system organized into a tropical depression by noon on October 6, shortly after the first advisory from the NHC was issued at 11 a.m. AST.
Located 620 mi (1,000 km) east-southeast of Barbados, the twelfth depression of the season moved just north of due west, steered quickly at 20 to 25 mph (40 km/h) by a ridge of high pressure in the lower to middle troposphere. At 5 p.m. AST later on October 6, the NHC noted that the depression was nearing tropical storm strength. Shortly after, a burst of heavy convective thunderstorms developed over the ill-defined low-level center, and as organization improved, the system was upgraded to 40 mph (65 km/h) Tropical Storm Jerry around midnight on October 7. Located within an environment of weak vertical wind shear, Jerry strengthened further, with its maximum sustained winds reaching their estimated peak of around 50 mph (80 km/h) as Jerry approached the Windward Islands later on October 7. Jerry passed just south of Barbados at its peak intensity, followed by a slowing of forward speed and jog to the northwest as Jerry entered the Windward Islands early on October 8. Reconnaissance aircraft also indicated a possible reformation of the center, as data indicated multiple low-level rotations on a northeast to southwest axis.
As Jerry entered the eastern Caribbean Sea early on October 8 after bypassing St. Vincent, its forward speed increased to 25 mph (40 km/h), and reconnaissance aircraft observations indicated a broad circulation with several small rotations but an ill-defined low-level center. Later, satellite observations indicated that the storm was poorly organized, with an elongated cloud mass and displaced secondary center to the northwest. Moderate vertical wind shear from the northwest developed, disrupting Jerry's upper-level outflow. Jerry continued to deteriorate, and later on October 8, aircraft data indicated the system had weakened into a broad area of low pressure with scattered squalls mainly to the east of the remnant center. Jerry then dissipated shortly afterward approximately 230 miles south of Puerto Rico, with the remnants moving westward.
Read more about this topic: Tropical Storm Jerry (2001)
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