Understanding tropical terminology: Invest vs. storm

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AUSTIN (KXAN) — We are in peak tropic season, and it seems like every other day there is a new area to watch in the Atlantic Basin for tropical development. Meteorologists categorize tropical waves with numbers and letters while hurricane hunters fly into storms, to better get an understanding of the strength of the disturbance.

Meteorologist Tommy House sat down with Meteorologist Cameron Batiste with the National Weather Service to discuss.

Read an edited version of the conversation below.

Meteorologist Tommy House: When there is a cluster or a wave of showers and thunderstorms, the National Hurricane Center calls it an invest. What is an invest?

Cameron Batiste: An invest is something the National Hurricane Center designates as either a tropical wave or tropical disturbance that they want to examine. Computer runs are modeled on the invest. Spaghetti plots show the track and intensity of the center

House: When a waves get investigated and and becomes a Tropical Depression, what’s the big difference?

Batiste: Tropical Depressions are more organized. It has a well defined circulation with wind speeds 38 mph or less.

House: Are invests categorized based on Basin?

Batiste: Invests are numbered between 90 and 99 in both Basins, with a letter attached to the end, L in the Atlantic, E for the East Pacific, and C for the Center Pacific.

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