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Subject: A9) What is a "CDO" ?
NRL - Monterey
Contributed by Chris Landsea
"CDO" is an acronym that stands for "central dense
overcast". This is the cirrus cloud shield that results from
the thunderstorms in the eyewall of a tropical cyclone and its
rainbands. Before the tropical cyclone reaches hurricane
strength (33 m/s, 64 kts, 74mph), typically the CDO is uniformly
showing the cold cloud tops of the cirrus with no eye apparent.
Once the storm reaches the hurricane strength threshold, usually
an eye can be seen in either the infrared or visible channels of
the satellites. Tropical cyclones that have nearly circular CDO's
are indicative of favorable, low vertical shear environments.
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