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Olga May Bring Gift Of Rain

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By NEIL JOHNSON | The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 11, 2007

Updated: 12/11/2007 10:31 am

TAMPA - The year's – possibly – last subtropical storm, Olga, will stay far from Florida but may boost the chance of much-needed rain this week.

As Olga passes south of the state, the counterclockwise circulation around the storm could push moist tropical air over the state ahead of an approaching cold front and provide a better chance of rain.

The National Weather Service says thunderstorms are possible Sunday as the front meets the moist air from Olga.

As for Olga, the year's 15th named storm is forecast to weaken into just an area of storms with winds about 30 mph by Thursday afternoon.

The latest advisory from the National Hurricane Center expects Olga to pass just south of Hispaniola today.

That would put the storm's strongest winds over the island.

The National Hurricane Center forecasters expect Olga's winds to peak at 45 mph. The storm's strongest winds were too far north of Puerto Rico to trigger tropical storm warnings or watches.

However, the hurricane center said rain from Olga is causing mudslides in Puerto Rico and is likely to do the same in Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

Olga's track should take it the length of Hispaniola, but forecasters say the island's mountains are not likely to weaken the storm much because it's center of circulation would remain offshore.

After passing the island, Olga should encounter shear -- winds blowing in different directions at different heights in the atmosphere -- that will sap Olga's strength.

A large area of high pressure over Florida and the western Atlantic will keep Olga or its remains on a westerly path.

Though hurricane season officially ended Nov. 30, warm water in the Caribbean Sea makes it possible, though rare, for tropical or subtropical systems to ignore the man-made calendar.

Olga is the 10th named storm to form in December since 1851.

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