Lee's fetch, has already pushed a modest size, long period groundswell to the whole east coast, and what arrived took ~ 2 days to get there, from when the storm's fetch was much smaller. The storm's inner core hurricane force max stated winds is not so important to swell generation, as the size of the fetch of 30+ mph winds, which was very small, but now, is huge.
The eyewall replacement cycles it has gone through have reduced maximum winds at the core, but extended the distance from center that hurricane and tropical force winds exert their influence on the sea state.
Also the storm will be moving atop this already excited sea state, making it easier to impart more energy into waves and swell, and the storm is only going to grow in size as it gains latitude.
Margot, to its east, is sending swell towards atlantic coast as well, and Lees winds will also have that to push against, and add energy to.
I'd expect significant beach erosion and coastal flooding far from where the enter of circulation ultimately lands.
Long period groundswell is relatively uncommon on east coast and the longer the period, the faster the swell moves, piling up water along the shoreline, compounded by onshore winds and the windswell generated locally atop the longperiod swell generated hundreds, thousands of miles away.
Locally, this will be similar to a Nor'easter, but noreasters basically move from land to the water and usually scoot quickly to the Canadian maritimes moving away from the coast.
As powerful as they can be, they are not moving at the coastline from a thousand miles away, spewing long period groundswells ahead of them like Sandy did, and as Lee is currently doing.
I recall driving througb salt water floods in Coastal NJ on a nice pleasant sunny day with 10 to 15mph onshores from the Haloween storm of '91.
That Swell was huge, out of control, terrifying, as an avid east coast surfer.
I took humbling beatings just trying to maKe it outside. Thought I had made it once, then a huge set reared up in front of me, broke top to bottom, and i just latched onto my board in death grip, and was doing underwater cartwheels for a good 20 seconds becore being allowed to breathe and aim back toward shore, defeated.
East coast surfers are frothing at the moment.
But only a few spots will handle this swell at its peak.
No seasoned coastal dwellers will be scoffing at the diminishing maximum wind speeds of Lee.
Its fetch is huge, and growing.
The eyewall replacement cycles it has gone through have reduced maximum winds at the core, but extended the distance from center that hurricane and tropical force winds exert their influence on the sea state.
Also the storm will be moving atop this already excited sea state, making it easier to impart more energy into waves and swell, and the storm is only going to grow in size as it gains latitude.
Margot, to its east, is sending swell towards atlantic coast as well, and Lees winds will also have that to push against, and add energy to.
I'd expect significant beach erosion and coastal flooding far from where the enter of circulation ultimately lands.
Long period groundswell is relatively uncommon on east coast and the longer the period, the faster the swell moves, piling up water along the shoreline, compounded by onshore winds and the windswell generated locally atop the longperiod swell generated hundreds, thousands of miles away.
Locally, this will be similar to a Nor'easter, but noreasters basically move from land to the water and usually scoot quickly to the Canadian maritimes moving away from the coast.
As powerful as they can be, they are not moving at the coastline from a thousand miles away, spewing long period groundswells ahead of them like Sandy did, and as Lee is currently doing.
I recall driving througb salt water floods in Coastal NJ on a nice pleasant sunny day with 10 to 15mph onshores from the Haloween storm of '91.
That Swell was huge, out of control, terrifying, as an avid east coast surfer.
I took humbling beatings just trying to maKe it outside. Thought I had made it once, then a huge set reared up in front of me, broke top to bottom, and i just latched onto my board in death grip, and was doing underwater cartwheels for a good 20 seconds becore being allowed to breathe and aim back toward shore, defeated.
East coast surfers are frothing at the moment.
But only a few spots will handle this swell at its peak.
No seasoned coastal dwellers will be scoffing at the diminishing maximum wind speeds of Lee.
Its fetch is huge, and growing.
