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National Weather Service in Wilmington sending extra balloons to collect data on Hurricane Isaias

WILMINGTON — The National Weather Service in Wilmington will be sending extra weather balloons to gather data on Hurricane Isaias, which Friday night appeared to be on track to hit the east coast of the United States this weekend.

“We will temporarily be increasing the number of weather balloon launches to 4 per day,” forecasters said in a tweet tonight.

“This will provide additional upper-air data and help give some more insight on the troughing pattern aloft that will help ‘steer’ the path of Hurricane Isaias!”

Storm Center 7 Chief Meteorologist McCall Vrydaghs said that ahead of a mid to upper level trough that will be digging into the Great Lakes region on Saturday, a weak area of low pressure will bring showers and storms to the Miami Valley. A few strong to severe storms are possible as lower to upper level atmospheric wind fields increase on the southeast side of the trough during the afternoon and evening. Damaging winds gusts will be the primary threat, but an isolated tornado is possible, too.

As this trough shifts to the east, the severe threat to the Miami Valley will end, but the middle to upper level winds will begin steering the path of Hurricane Isaias.

How these winds interact with Hurricane Isaias will determine where landfall may occur and also how quickly the intensity of the storm will decrease.

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