Editing Hurricane Frederic (section)

==Meteorological history==
{{storm path|Frederic 1979 track.png}}
The precursor to Hurricane Frederic emerged as a loosely defined [[tropical wave]] off the west coast of Africa late on August&nbsp;27. The following day, satellite images indicated that the tropical wave had become more defined, and was beginning to show signs of [[cyclonic rotation]]. At 0600&nbsp;[[UTC]] on August&nbsp;29, the [[National Hurricane Center]]&nbsp;<small>(NHC)</small> classified the system as a [[tropical depression]] based on observational data from ships nearby in conjunction with satellite images.<ref name=MWR>{{cite journal|author1=Hebert, Paul J. |title=Atlantic Hurricane Season of 1979 |journal=Monthly Weather Review |date=March 26, 1980 |volume=108 |issue=7 |pages=973–990 |doi=10.1175/1520-0493(1980)108<0973:AHSO>2.0.CO;2 |url=http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/general/lib/lib1/nhclib/mwreviews/1979.pdf |access-date=27 June 2014 |publisher=American Meteorological Society |location=Miami, Florida |bibcode=1980MWRv..108..973H |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110104020243/http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/general/lib/lib1/nhclib/mwreviews/1979.pdf |archive-date=January 4, 2011 |df=mdy-all }}</ref>{{Atlantic hurricane best track}} Upon [[tropical cyclogenesis|developing]] into a tropical cyclone, the depression moved at an unusually rapid pace westward, gradually curving towards the west-northwest and slowly intensifying in ideal conditions. At 1200&nbsp;UTC on August&nbsp;30,{{Atlantic hurricane best track}} the tropical depression was upgraded to [[tropical storm]] status and thus [[tropical cyclone naming|named]] ''Frederic''.<ref name=MWR /> Intensification continued after the storm's upgrade, and early on September&nbsp;1, Frederic developed an [[eye (cyclone)|eye]], prompting the NHC to further upgrade the tropical cyclone to hurricane status at 0600&nbsp;UTC that day.<ref name=MWR />{{Atlantic hurricane best track}}

Frederic only maintained hurricane intensity for roughly eighteen hours over the open waters of the Atlantic on September&nbsp;1 before [[outflow (meteorology)|outflow]] from nearby [[Hurricane David]] began to adversely affect the tropical cyclone.<ref name=MWR />{{Atlantic hurricane best track}} At 0000&nbsp;UTC on September&nbsp;2, Frederic weakened back to tropical storm strength while it was still well east of the [[Lesser Antilles]]. This weakening phase continued as Frederic began to assume a more westerly track and slow in forward motion.<ref name=MWR /> On September&nbsp;4, Frederic tracked over the [[Virgin Islands]] before making [[landfall]] on [[Puerto Rico]] later that day with [[maximum sustained wind]]s of {{convert|50|mph|km/h|abbr=on}}.{{Atlantic hurricane best track}} Frederic's interaction with Puerto Rico greatly disrupted the low-level circulation contained within the tropical cyclone, enhancing the weakening effects of Hurricane David's outflow. After passing over the island, the tropical storm briefly took a southwest course before curving into [[Hispaniola]] on September&nbsp;6, inducing additional disruption within Frederic. At 1800&nbsp;UTC that day, Frederic was downgraded to tropical depression status north of [[Haiti]].<ref name=MWR /> Frederic remained a tropical depression for two days as it tracked into and then parallel to the southern coast of [[Cuba]] beginning on September&nbsp;7.{{Atlantic hurricane best track}} During this time, Hurricane David had tracked far into the [[Northeastern United States]], and as a result its inhibiting effects of intensification ceased.<ref name=MWR /> At 0000&nbsp;UTC on September&nbsp;9,{{Atlantic hurricane best track}} Frederic regained tropical storm intensity while located roughly {{convert|100|mi|km|abbr=on}}/h) east of the [[Isla de la Juventud|Isle of Youth]]. The following day, the cyclone tracked over western Cuba as it gradually curved towards the northwest.{{Atlantic hurricane best track}}

Favorable conditions, marked by very warm [[sea surface temperature]]s as high as 86&nbsp;°F&nbsp;(30&nbsp;°C) and the presence of a large [[anticyclone]] over the system, allowed Frederic to strengthen to hurricane status for a second time while just northwest of Cuba, despite proximity to land.<ref name=MWR /> Frederic took a northwesterly course throughout its trek across the [[Gulf of Mexico]] in early September, intensifying in a highly conducive environment.<ref name=MWR /> By 1800&nbsp;UTC on September&nbsp;10, the hurricane became stronger than it had ever been over the central Atlantic. At 0000&nbsp;UTC on September&nbsp;12, Frederic attained [[Saffir–Simpson hurricane wind scale|major hurricane]] status over the eastern [[Gulf of Mexico]], and twelve hours later reached peak intensity with a minimum [[barometric pressure]] of 943&nbsp;[[bar (unit)|mbar]] ([[pascal (unit)|hPa]]; 27.85&nbsp;[[inches of mercury|inHg]]) and sustained winds of {{convert|130|mph|km/h|abbr=on}},{{#tag:ref|A major hurricane is a storm that ranks as Category&nbsp;3 or higher on the [[Saffir–Simpson hurricane scale]].<ref name=MajorHurricane>{{cite book|author=Goldenburg, Stan |chapter=A3) What is a super-typhoon? What is a major hurricane? What is an intense hurricane? |type=FAQ |title=Frequently Asked Questions |url=http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/tcfaq/tcfaqHED.html |chapter-url=http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/tcfaq/A3.html |date=June 1, 2014 |publisher=United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory |access-date=27 June 2014 |version=4.7 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060615212545/http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/tcfaq/tcfaqHED.html |archive-date=June 15, 2006 |df=mdy-all }}</ref>|group="nb"}} making the cyclone a Category&nbsp;4 hurricane on the [[Saffir–Simpson hurricane wind scale]].{{Atlantic hurricane best track}} Moving gradually faster in the Gulf of Mexico,<ref name=MWR /> Frederic eventually made two landfalls&nbsp;– one on [[Dauphin Island, Alabama|Dauphin Island]] and the other near the border between [[Alabama]] and [[Mississippi]]&nbsp;– with a virtually unchanged intensity.{{Atlantic hurricane best track}}<ref name=USLandfalls>{{cite book|author=Landsea, Chris |chapter=E23) What is the complete list of continental U.S. landfalling hurricanes? |type=FAQ |title=Frequently Asked Questions |url=http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/tcfaq/tcfaqHED.html |chapter-url=http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/tcfaq/E23.html |date=June 1, 2014 |publisher=United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory |access-date=27 June 2014 |version=4.7 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060615212545/http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/tcfaq/tcfaqHED.html |archive-date=June 15, 2006 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> Tracking rapidly northward, Frederic began to weaken due to land interaction, and was downgraded to tropical storm status while it was near [[Meridian, Mississippi]] on September&nbsp;13.<ref name=MWR /> At around the same time, the cyclone began to curve northeastward,{{Atlantic hurricane best track}} eventually merging with an [[extratropical cyclone]] in southwestern [[Pennsylvania]] by 1800&nbsp;UTC on September&nbsp;14. These extratropical remnants proceeded to track through the [[Mid-Atlantic states]] and [[New England]] before they were last officially documented by the NHC in [[New Brunswick]] on September&nbsp;15.<ref name=MWR />{{Atlantic hurricane best track}} However, the [[Canadian Hurricane Centre]] still considered the cyclone active up until the storm entered the [[Labrador Sea]] on September&nbsp;16.<ref name=Canada>{{cite web|author1=Environment Canada|title=1979-Frederic|url=http://www.ec.gc.ca/hurricane/default.asp?lang=En&n=F05FBB0C-1|website=Canadian Storm Impact Summaries|publisher=Government of Canada|access-date=27 June 2014|date=September 14, 2010}}</ref>
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<!--[[File:Tropical Storm Frederic 2 Sep 1979 1846z.png|thumb|Frederic as a tropical storm east of the Lesser Antilles on September&nbsp;2|alt=Black and white satellite image of a poorly defined but compact mass of clouds, with country borders artificially highlighted in black.]]-->