Former Tropical Storm Bud weakened to a tropical depression on Friday. At 5:00 p.m. EDT on Friday the center of Tropical Depression Bud was located at latitude 19.2°N and longitude 120.5°W which put the center about 730 miles (1175 km) west-southwest of the southern tip of Baja California. Bud was moving toward the west at 10 m.p.h. (16 km/h). The maximum sustained wind speed was 35 m.p.h. (55 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 45 m.p.h. (75 km/h). The minimum surface pressure was 1008 mb.
Former Tropical Storm Bud weakened to a tropical depression over the Eastern North Pacific Ocean southwest of Baja California on Friday. Bud moved over cooler water where the air was also cooler and more stable. The cooler, more stable environment caused all of the thunderstorms in Bud’s circulation to dissipate. The bands revolving around the center of Tropical Depression Bud consisted entirely of showers and lower clouds. When the thunderstorms dissipated, Bud stopped producing upper level divergence. When the upper level divergence stopped, the surface pressure increased.
Tropical Depression Bud will move through an environment unfavorable for intensification during the next 36 hours. Bud will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperatures are near 25°C. Tropical Depression Bud will remain in a cooler, more stable environment. It will move under the southwestern part of an upper level ridge over the Southwest U.S. and northern Mexico. The ridge will produce easterly winds that will blow toward the top of Bud’s circulation. Those winds will cause moderate vertical wind shear. The cool, stable environment and the vertical wind shear will cause Tropical Depression Bud to continue to weaken.
Tropical Depression Bud will move around the southern side of the subtropical high pressure system over the Eastern North Pacific Ocean. The high pressure system will steer Bud toward the west during the next 36 hours. On its anticipated track, Tropical Depression Bud will move farther away from Baja California.
