Hurricane Newton (1986)

Hurricane Newton

Category 1 hurricane (SSHWS/NWS)
Hurricane Newton
Formed	September 18, 1986
Dissipated	September 23, 1986
Highest winds	1-minute sustained: 85 mph (140 km/h)
Lowest pressure	984 mbar (hPa); 29.06 inHg
Fatalities	None
Damage	Minimal
Areas affected	Mexico, United States
Part of the 1986 Pacific hurricane season

Hurricane Newton was one of the few tropical cyclones that were intercepted by Hurricane Hunter flights during the moderately active 1986 Pacific hurricane season. A tropical depression formed near Central America on September 18; two days later, the depression was upgraded into a tropical storm. Moving towards to northwest, Newton strengthened into a hurricane on September 21. After paralleling the coast, Newton move ashore near Cabo San Lucas on September 22. Shortly after entering the Gulf of California, the hurricane attaining its peak intensity of 85 mph (145 km/h). The following day, Newton moved ashore the Mexican mainland. Newton dissipated on September 23. However, the remnants of Newton continued across the United States and eventually emerged into the Atlantic Ocean. While 40 homes lost their roofs, damage in Mexico was fairly minor, and no fatalities were reported in association with Newton, though the remnants produced fairly heavy rains in the Great Plains.

The origins of Newton were from a tropical disturbed weather near Nicaragua in mid-September. Steered by an upper-level trough located over the Western United States, the system moved westward and developed into a tropical depression at 1200 UTC on September 18. It was located beneath an anticyclone situated the Central United States and over sea surface temperatures of 84 °F (29 °C). The system steadily intensified as it paralleled the Mexican coast, and was upgraded into Tropical Storm Newton early on September 20. Within 24 hours, Newton had attained winds of 60 mph (95 km/h). Meanwhile, the storm turned northwest. At 0600 UTC September 21, the Eastern Pacific Hurricane Center (EPHC) reported that Newton had attained hurricane strength while located about 200 mi (320 km) west-northwest of Manzanillo, Colima.