Tropical Storm Barry (2007) - Meteorological History

Meteorological History

By late on May 29, a weak trough over the Yucatán Peninsula produced a small area of convection over the Yucatán Channel. Convection increased in association with the trough, and the next day a broad envelop of cyclonic turning developed within the system. By May 30, the moisture from the trough extended from Nicaragua through the southeastern Gulf of Mexico, with the greatest area of convection near Cuba. A westward moving tropical wave spawned a broad area of low pressure on May 30, and by May 31 a circulation developed within the system to the southeast of Cozumel, Mexico. The low moved north-northeastward, and gradually became better organized despite high amounts of vertical wind shear. The deep convection became more concentrated near the center, and it is estimated the system developed into a tropical depression at 1200 UTC on June 1 just to the northwest of the western tip of Cuba. Operationally, it was not classified until eleven hours later.

The depression developed a large area of squalls, and organized enough to warrant a Hurricane Hunters flight into the area. The plane reported flight level winds of 60 mph (97 km/h) and a pressure of 1000 mbar near the increasingly well-defined low-level circulation. Initially it maintained characteristics of both a tropical and subtropical cyclone, although deep convection continued to organize near the center; based on the observations, the National Hurricane Center initiated advisories on Tropical Storm Barry at 2100 UTC on June 1 while the storm was centered about 235 miles (375 km) west of Key West, Florida. Embedded within the southwesterly flow ahead of an approaching mid-level trough, it tracked quickly northward, and early on June 2 attained peak winds of 60 mph (95 km/h).

Shortly after reaching peak intensity, strong wind shear removed most of the deep convection; the cloud pattern consisted of an exposed yet well-defined center surrounded by a curved convective band extending from Cuba along the eastern Gulf of Mexico. The center became elongated and weakened as it accelerated northeastward, and at 1400 UTC on June 2 Barry made landfall near Tampa, Florida, as a weakening tropical depression. As it continued inland, it rapidly lost tropical characteristics, and later that day the National Hurricane Center discontinued advisories on Barry while it was located over northeastern Florida. The extratropical remnants strengthened as the system continued northeastward, and on June 3 it moved ashore along South Carolina. Spiral bands developed to the north of the system as it moved up the coast, and a large plume of moisture extended well ahead of the low-level circulation. Late on June 4, the extratropical remnant entered New England, and late on June 5 the remnants of Barry were absorbed by a larger extratropical cyclone near the border between the U.S. state of Maine and the Canadian province of Quebec.