https://pjmedia.com/weathernerd/2012/08/23/might-isaac-never-become-a-hurricane/feed/PJ Media is a leading news site covering culture, politics, faith, homeland security, and more. Our reporters and columnists provide original, in-depth analysis from a variety of perspectives.en-usWed, 10 Jun 2026 01:40:55 -0400<![CDATA[Veteran hurricane-watchers know that, sometimes, a storm that seems to have most of the elements needed for intensification working in its favor &#8212; high ocean temperatures, low wind shear, good upper-level outflow &#8212; just seems unable to &#8220;get its act together,&#8221; and never gets nearly as strong as feared. Often times, the culprit is a &#8220;patch of dry air,&#8221; a sort of micro-scale atmospheric feature that the computer models have a tougher time capturing and forecasting than big, &#8220;macro&#8221; steering elements like big high pressure ridges and upper-level troughs. Yet patches of dry air can be critical in disrupting the core structure of a storm, and without a well-organized core, all the warm water and low shear in the world won&#8217;t lead to rapid strengthening. I said yesterday that, under the right circumstances, &#8220;a wobble of a few dozen miles in either direction can literally change the course of history.&#8221; Well, a patch of dry air can change the course of history, too. Many storms with the potential to become significant hurricanes have failed to live up to that potential because of a well-timed patch of dry air.]]>Thu, 23 Aug 2012 07:59:10 -0400<![CDATA[Brendan Loy]]>https://pjmedia.com/brendan-loy/2012/08/23/might-isaac-never-become-a-hurricane-n183522