WOCN31 CWHX 162345
TROPICAL CYCLONE INFORMATION STATEMENT UPDATED BY THE CANADIAN
HURRICANE CENTRE OF ENVIRONMENT CANADA AT 8:52 PM NDT FRIDAY
16 SEPTEMBER 2011.
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TROPICAL CYCLONE INFORMATION STATEMENT FOR:
      LABRADOR
      NEWFOUNDLAND.

      FOR POST-TROPICAL STORM MARIA.

      THIS IS THE FINAL STATEMENT BY THE CANADIAN HURRICANE CENTRE ON
      THIS STORM.

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==DISCUSSION==
HURRICANE MARIA MADE LANDFALL AS A CATEGORY-ONE HURRICANE IN THE CAPE 
ST.  MARY'S/ARGENTIA AREA OF THE AVALON PENINSULA OF NEWFOUNDLAND 
AROUND 3:30/4:00 PM LOCAL TIME ON FRIDAY.  THIS WAS VERY CLOSE TO THE 
FORECAST TRACK ISSUED LATE THURSDAY WHEN IT BECAME APPARENT THAT THE 
CENTRE OF THE STORM WAS GOING TO TRACK FARTHER TO THE WEST OVER LAND. 
STRONGEST WINDS WITH THE STORM WERE TO THE RIGHT OF ITS TRACK/CENTRE. 
IT TURNS OUT THAT THE HIGHEST WINDS WERE FAR ENOUGH FROM THE CENTRE 
AT LANDFALL THAT THEY DID NOT PASS OVER LAND.  THE MAXIMUM WIND JET 
WAS JUST OFFSHORE TO THE EAST OF THE AVALON PENINSULA.  HIGH WINDS 
AND SOME TREE DAMAGE WAS FORECAST FOR THE AVALON REGION BUT IN THE 
END WAS SPARED THE WORST OF THIS STORM.

THE REMNANT EYE OF MARIA COVERED MOST OF PLACENTIA BAY AND UP INTO 
THE CLARENVILLE AREA BEFORE DUSK ON FRIDAY.  WINDS DIMINISHED TO 
LIGHT AS THE EYE PASSED, THEN PICKED-UP FROM THE WEST AS SKIES 
CLOUDED OVER AGAIN.

THIS STORM WAS VERY MUCH A CLOSE CALL FOR THE ISLAND.  OFFSHORE WINDS 
AT ONE OF ENVIRONMENT CANADA'S BUOYS WERE BLOWING HURRICANE-FORCE 
(120-130 KM/H) FOR AT LEAST 2 HOURS.  THE BUOY WAS SITUATED ABOUT 180 
KILOMETRES TO THE RIGHT OF THE STORM'S TRACK.  NARROW BANDS OF CLOUD 
IN SATELLITE IMAGES REVEALED THAT THE HIGH WINDS ENDED UP TRACKING 50 
TO 80 KILOMETRES EAST OF CAPE RACE AND ST JOHN'S.  HAD THE CENTRE OF 
MARIA MADE LANDFALL ON THE BURIN PENINSULA, THESE HIGH WINDS WOULD 
HAVE SPREAD OVER THE EASTERN PART OF THE AVALON REGION.  NOT ONLY IS 
PREDICTING THE TRACK OF THE STORM A CHALLENGE, BUT SO TOO IS THE 
LOCATION OF THE MAXIMUM WINDS THAT WERE MOVING AWAY FROM THE STORM 
CENTRE.  THIS IS A WELL-KNOWN CHARACTERISTIC OF HURRICANES THAT MAKE 
THE TRANSITION TO POST-TROPICAL, BUT THE RATE AT WHICH THOSE WINDS 
SHIFT AWAY FROM THE TRACK IS VERY DIFFICULT TO EVEN MEASURE OR 
OBSERVE BY WEATHER SATELLITES - ESPECIALLY OVER THE OCEAN.

WINDS DID GUST TO 100 KM/H AT A FEW EXPOSED LOCATIONS AROUND THE 
AVALON INCLUDING A PEAK WIND OF 103 KM/H AT CAPE PINE NEAR ST.
SHOTTS BY A PRIVATELY-RUN WEATHER STATION.  INCIDENTALLY, THIS SITE 
MEASURED THE HIGHEST GUSTS DURING HURRICANE IGOR OF 172 KM/H.
CAPE RACE HAD WIND GUSTS TO 100 KM/H.  ST. JOHN'S EXPERIENCED WIND 
GUSTS NEAR 80 KM/H - MUCH LESS THAN IGOR'S 120 KM/H ALMOST A YEAR 
AGO.

THE STORM SURGE WAS NOT SIGNIFICANT - REGISTERING NEAR 60 CM AT 
ARGENTIA AT LOW TIDE EARLY FRIDAY EVENING.  SINCE THE STORM WAS 
MOVING SO FAST, THERE WAS LITTLE TIME FOR THE WIND TO CAUSE WATER TO 
PILE-UP IN THE BAYS.

RAINFALL AMOUNTS WERE NEAR 60 MILLIMETRES ON THE BURIN PENINSULA AND 
ALONG THE SOUTH COAST.  ST LAWRENCE RECEIVED 63 MILLIMETRES AND 
BURGEO 61 MILLIMETRES.  ONLY 13 MILLIMETRES FELL AT ST. JOHN'S DUE 
PARTLY TO THE DRY AIR THAT MOVED INTO THE CENTRE OF THE HURRICANE AS 
IT WAS UNDERGOING TRANSITION TO POST-TROPICAL.  ALSO THE STORM'S VERY 
FAST SPEED OF TRAVEL HELPED TO REDUCE THE TOTAL RAINFALL.

END/FOGARTY