Could Sandy Break the NE U.S. Low Pressure Record?

October 26, 2012; 4:47 PM

UPDATE: The 12Z GFS computer model raised the minimum pressure of Hurricane Sandy (over water) from 938 mb to 948 but it now has Hartford tying the record pressure of 28.04″ from 1920 on Tuesday morning!

Please read my earlier blog Sandy: A Few Good Men Vs. the Storm of the Century for insight into meteorologists and this storm. Stay tuned to AccuWeather.com for the latest news updates and watch my Facebook Page for additional information.

ORIGINAL ENTRY: The pressure readings that the 00Z ECMWF (Euro) model is printing out will threaten city and state low pressure records, if it verifies. Looking just at Virginia, Maryland, Delaware and New Jersey, all their records would be shattered by Sandy. BUT: Historical pressure readings are recording for only a couple cities per state. Baltimore, MD and Wilmington, Delaware would break their (and therefore their states) all-time pressure records.

For the 00Z GFS model, which has a more northern landfall, New York City, Block Island, RI and Nantucket, MA would break their all-time low pressure readings. The all-time Northeast U.S. low pressure reading (28.04″ in Hartford, Connecticut, according to weather historian Chris Burt) would be safe, at Hartford, CT, which would only fall to 28.17″, but other places in the state would tie that record.

The views expressed are those of the author and not necessarily those of AccuWeather, Inc. or AccuWeather.com