Tropical Storm Paulette Discussion Number  41
NWS National Hurricane Center Miami FL       AL172020
900 AM GMT Tue Sep 22 2020

The tops of Paulette's convective clouds have been warming since 
the previous advisory, and first-light visible images show that a 
swirl of low- to mid-level clouds is about all that is left.  The 
estimated maximum winds remain 50 kt based on last evening's ASCAT 
pass, but that value could be generous given the degraded 
convective structure.  New scatterometer passes this morning should 
give us a better idea of how the winds have changed.  Moderate to 
strong vertical wind shear and cool sea surface temperatures are 
expected to induce weakening over the next couple of days, and 
Paulette is expected to become post-tropical by 48 hours.  If 
convection does not redevelop later today, the transition to a 
post-tropical cyclone would likely occur before 48 hours.  The 
remnant low is expected to dissipate by day 5.

Paulette is moving toward the east-northeast, or 065/15 kt.  This 
motion is expected to continue for the next 36 hours.  After that 
time, there is significant model divergence, with several models 
(such as the GFS) taking Paulette to the Iberian Peninsula while 
others (such as the ECMWF) stop it on a dime and turn it 
westward.  The latter solution appears more realistic since a 
shallow convection-less low would be steered toward the west by 
ridging to the north.  The NHC forecast is a blend of the previous 
interpolated official forecast and the HCCA consensus aid.


FORECAST POSITIONS AND MAX WINDS

INIT  22/0900Z 34.7N  23.7W   50 KT  60 MPH
12H  22/1800Z 35.1N  21.5W   45 KT  50 MPH
24H  23/0600Z 35.4N  19.0W   45 KT  50 MPH
36H  23/1800Z 35.8N  17.0W   40 KT  45 MPH
48H  24/0600Z 35.6N  16.3W   35 KT  40 MPH...POST-TROPICAL
60H  24/1800Z 34.9N  16.7W   30 KT  35 MPH...POST-TROP/REMNT LOW
72H  25/0600Z 34.3N  17.2W   25 KT  30 MPH...POST-TROP/REMNT LOW
96H  26/0600Z 33.3N  21.8W   25 KT  30 MPH...POST-TROP/REMNT LOW
120H  27/0600Z...DISSIPATED

$$
Forecaster Berg