Erin Becomes Tropical Storm Once Again

By Courtney Spamer, Meteorologist

August 16,2013; 9:21PM,EDT

 

 

Erin has become a tropical storm once again in the eastern Atlantic after briefly weakening to a tropical depression.
Heading into the weekend, Erin will continue to move west-nothwestward tracking farther into open waters.
AccuWeather.com Expert Senior Meteorologist Dan Kottlowski noted on Friday morning that Erin was moving into a new environment for the weekend.
"The storm is currently tracking over marginally warm water and will start to move into an air mass that is less moist and more stable than the one it formed in," Kottlowski said.

Erin first became a tropical storm early Thursday morning, making it the fifth named tropical storm in the 2013 Atlantic Hurricane Season. However, it weakened to a tropical depression Friday morning as it moved into this new air mass.
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The tropical storm will not have any immediate impacts on the United States as it is currently more than 2,000 miles away from the country. However, it should still be monitored as it is expected to track west-northwestward over the next several days.
The above graphic is a satellite picture of Erin Thursday night.
Conditions are quickly becoming more favorable in the Atlantic for development, which is typical for mid- to late August.
Over the past week, the strong, opposing wind shear has weakened across the tropics. Furthermore, the dry, Saharan air off the African coast has begun to dissipate.
The disintegration of these factors will lead to an uptick of storms in the Atlantic Basin in the coming weeks.