What is a Hybrid Storm?
By Quincy Vagell on October 25, 2012, 10:15am Last modified: October 26, 2012, 3:59pm
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Rick from Shelton says,
"I am a little unclear as to just what a hybrid system is. Can you explain?"
This is a great question, especially with the term being use a lot recently.
Hurricane Sandy is currently a tropical system. This means that the storm has a warm core of air. Tropical systems thrive off of the warm moisture that is the (in this case) Atlantic Ocean.
Mid-latitude cyclones, sometimes known as "nor'easters" do not have a warm core. Warm and cold fronts are typically associated with these storms. Although warm air is involved, the warm air is not symmetrical. Warm air surges in ahead of these storms and cold air filters in on the back side. Eventually, strong cyclones like this can develop a cold core, which is the opposite of a tropical system.
Hybrid storms:
There are many terms that can be used here. When a tropical storm transitions to a non-tropical storm, it's often called an "extra-tropical" transition.
Some storms are called "sub-tropical" if they resemble a hurricane, but have some characteristics of a non-tropical system.
The Perfect Storm of 1991 was a rare case in which a non-tropical storm basically "ate" a hurricane and the system formed into one massive storm. That storm then retrograded westward towards New England, which is a possible scenario that MIGHT happen with Sandy. The Perfect Storm even later regenerated into another hurricane.
Why might Sandy become a "hybrid"?
Hybrid means that a storm has characteristics of both a tropical system and a non-tropical system. As Hurricane Sandy moves northward, it will eventually move into cooler waters. This will, in part, cause Sandy to lose SOME of her tropical characteristics. Also, as Sandy interacts with a deepening trough, there are atmospheric processes that will work to transition the storm away from a tropical system.
It's really a complicated scenario that does not happen very often.
What might happen with Sandy as it becomes a hybrid?
Well, the strength of the storm will stay the same. In fact, it can still deepen into a stronger low pressure center with strong winds and heavy rain. However, there are some important changes.
The size of the storm and the extent of the wind field will increase.
Tropical systems are generally known for having a relatively tight core of strong winds. In this case, the strong winds may expand and cover a larger area. NOTE: As the wind field expands, so does the center of the storm. This means that the storm might not have a small eye, but it may have a larger area around the center with lighter winds.
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