Subtropical storm Gabrielle forms in the Atlantic

Subtropical storm Gabrielle formed just off the east coast of the United States last night. As of this morning, it has winds of 45 mph and is expected to make a brief landfall around the Outer Banks of North Carolina on Sunday. Gabrielle will make landfall as it recurving towards the northeast, so its time over land should be brief before it heads back out to sea.

What is a subtropical storm? The Central Florida Hurricane Center defines it as a tropical storm with a warm core at lower levels and a cold core at higher levels. A regular tropical storm has a warm core, and an extratropical storm has a cold core, so this is sort of a hybrid system. Of course, especially if you live in the Carolinas, it should be treated no differently than any other tropical system.

The National Hurricane Center will have updates on the path.