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Powerful Hurricane Sam is likely to stay clear of the Caribbean islands
Confidence is now high that Hurricane Sam will avoid the Caribbean islands as the storm arcs off to the north.
Local
Confidence is now high that Hurricane Sam will avoid the Caribbean islands as the storm arcs off to the north. They might feel some outer effects on the islands around the northeast corner of the Caribbean Sea, depending on exactly how far offshore the center of Sam tracks, but the core of the storm should pass them by.
Out in the middle of the tropical Atlantic, Hurricane Sam is putting on a show. The core of the storm has consolidated into a structure with a tiny eye that should allow strengthening to continue as it crawls to the west in the general direction of the Caribbean islands. It’s already approaching Category 3, and is forecast to go the Category 4.
A temporary change in the configuration of the high-pressure system to the north will cause Sam to temporarily slow down to a leisurely stroll. The core of the high has shifted west, so it’s blocking Sam’s forward progress. But big changes in the steering pattern are coming by Monday.
A deep dip in the jet stream developing along the U.S. East Coast combined with the remnants of Tropical Storm Peter will push the high back to the east. Sam’s track is very likely to bend to the north into the gap between the jet-stream dip and the retreating high-pressure system.