Chantal (2019)

A small tropical cyclone formed from a leftover frontal low off the southeastern United States. The low moved off the North Carolina coast and became a tropical depression at 1800 UTC on 20 August 2019 about 320 nautical miles southeast of Halifax, Nova Scotia. It strengthened to Tropical Storm Chantal at 0000 UTC 21 August, moved quickly eastward over the northwestern Atlantic near the Gulf Stream, then weakened and lost tropical characteristics by 1800 UTC 23 August. The remnant low looped slowly and dissipated after 1800 UTC 26 August about 715 n mi southeast of Cape Race, Newfoundland.

Chantal did not make any landfalls. The entire life of the system was over the open northwestern Atlantic and well away from the U.S. and Canadian coasts, so no coastal watches or warnings were required.

The storm’s maximum sustained winds were 35 knots (40 mph) and its estimated minimum central pressure was 1007 millibars. At peak intensity Chantal was a minimal tropical storm and it held that peak for roughly 18 hours on 21 August before weakening back to a depression.

Because Chantal remained over the open ocean, there were no reports of measured storm surge along any coast, and no reported rainfall totals from land stations associated with the cyclone. No ship or land reports of tropical-storm-force winds were recorded in association with Chantal.

There were no reported casualties or damage linked to Chantal. The storm’s impacts were limited by its short life and by remaining over the ocean.

Noteworthy items: Chantal’s genesis was not well forecast in advance; the system was first given a low chance of becoming a tropical cyclone in outlooks and developed sooner than expected. Forecast track and intensity errors for the short-lived storm were lower than recent 5‑year means at the forecast times that verified.