Tropical Cyclone Report
Tropical Depression Four
8 - 11 August 2000

Tropical Depression Four was a very small tropical cyclone with limited convection that approached the east coast of Florida. The precursor disturbance was a low that disengaged from a frontal zone in the central subtropical Atlantic on 4 August, and then moved southwestward over the next few days. An Air Force Reserve Command reconnaissance aircraft found a well-defined low level circulation with minimal convection on 8 August. The system then moved westward with no increase in strength for two days. On the 10^th, the depression was about 70 nautical miles east of Cape Canaveral when it abruptly turned northeastward in advance of a deep-layer trough over the eastern United States. The depression dissipated the following day. The best track chart of the depression's path is given in Figure 1, and the complete best track is given in Table 1.

A reconnaissance wind report at 1500 ft of 47 kt could be used to argue that the depression attained tropical storm status. However, the (surface-adjusted) tropical storm force winds were reported during only one pass through the system and covered an area less than 10 nautical miles across. These winds are judged to have been unrepresentative of the system's maximum sustained wind and so the cyclone has not been designated as a tropical storm.

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Table 1. Preliminary Best Track - Tropical Depression Four, 8-11 August 2000.

Date/Time (UTC)	Position		Pressure (mb)	Wind Speed (kt)	Stage
	Lat. (°N)	Lon. (°W)
08 / 1200	28.2	74.2	1011	30	tropical depression
08 / 1800	28.1	75.1	1010	30	"
09 / 0000	28.0	76.0	1010	30	"
09 / 0600	27.9	76.8	1010	30	"
09 / 1200	27.9	77.4	1010	30	"
09 / 1800	27.9	77.9	1010	30	"
10 / 0000	28.0	78.6	1009	30	"
10 / 0600	28.3	79.3	1010	30	"
10 / 1200	28.7	78.9	1010	30	"
10 / 1800	28.9	78.3	1011	25	"
11 / 0000	29.2	77.8	1011	25	"
11 / 0600	29.4	77.2	1012	25	"
11 / 1200	29.6	76.5	1013	25	"
10 / 0000	28.0	78.6	1009	30	minimum pressure

Figure 1. Best track positions for Tropical Depression Four, 8-11 August 2000.