Wilfred (2020)

A broad low-pressure area associated with a tropical wave moved westward off the coast of western Africa in mid-September 2020 and gradually organized. A burst of thunderstorms and scatterometer data showed a well-defined circulation, and the system became Tropical Storm Wilfred at about 1800 UTC on 17 September roughly 300 nautical miles southwest of the southernmost Cabo Verde Islands. Wilfred moved generally west-northwestward over the eastern and central tropical Atlantic, remained a weak system, and degenerated into an open trough by 0600 UTC on 21 September about 800 nautical miles east of the northern Leeward Islands.

Wilfred did not make any landfalls. It remained well east of the Lesser Antilles and posed no direct threat to land during its lifetime. No coastal watches or warnings were issued for the storm.

The storm’s maximum sustained winds were estimated at 35 knots (about 40 mph) with a minimum central pressure near 1006 mb. This peak intensity was reached shortly after formation on 17–18 September; there is a small possibility the storm briefly reached 40 kt (about 45 mph) for a short period on 18 September, but the official best estimate remained 35 kt. Wilfred was therefore a weak tropical storm at its strongest.

There were no reports of storm surge or rainfall impacts from Wilfred on land. Because the cyclone remained well over open ocean, no coastal surge measurements are attributed to it. Likewise, no significant rainfall totals on named islands or counties were reported in association with Wilfred.

No deaths, injuries, or damage were reported in connection with Wilfred. The storm primarily remained a marine event. One noteworthy aspect of the forecast record is that the short-term genesis of Wilfred was poorly anticipated by the Tropical Weather Outlooks, though once it formed the National Hurricane Center’s intensity forecasts generally captured the storm’s lack of strengthening due to dry air and increasing wind shear.