8 pm: Vortex of Change
The central vortex is now inland over New Jersey, and rapid structural changes are taking place. Most importantly, the central pressure is increasing...the storm is filling from below, which is starting to weaken the system. Second, the system is now highly asymmetric, with most of the heavy rainfall on the west and north sides of the system. Heavy rainfall is being maintained on the north-western side by jet stream energy aloft, and this is a very typical asymmetry that develops in tropical systems that interact with the jet stream. Third, a punch of dry air aloft off the continent has entered the storm from the southwest, and has wrapped all the way around into the storm's interior. The eastern semicircle is highly eroded and open.
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| Radar: WeatherTAP |
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| Water Vapor: WeatherTAP |
Additionally, warm air has invaded the storm to its north, cold air to its south - a highly wrapped-up, ying-yang type of pattern that spells early demise of the storm:
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| NOAA |
The strong temperature differences that helped to maintain the storm for the past 24-36 hours - warm oceanic air juxtaposed with a cold air mass - are starting to mix out.
Is the worst over? Not yet...but conditions should slowly start to improve after midnight. These enormous wind engines take their time to wind down, even as they lose their principal sources of energy.
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