Hurricane Roslyn (1986)

Hurricane Roslyn

Category 4 major hurricane (SSHWS/NWS)
Hurricane Roslyn near maximum intensity
Formed	October 15, 1986
Dissipated	October 22, 1986
Highest winds	1-minute sustained: 145 mph (230 km/h)
Fatalities	None reported
Areas affected	Mexico, Southern United States
Part of the 1986 Pacific hurricane season

Hurricane Roslyn was the strongest hurricane in the 1986 Pacific hurricane season. The 17th and final named storm of the season, Roslyn developed on October 15 to the south of Mexico. Its movement was initially guided by a ridge to its north, and it became a tropical storm on October 16 and a hurricane a day later. The hurricane reached peak winds of 145 mph (233 km/h) on October 19 before weakening and turning to the northeast. Roslyn ultimately moved ashore near Mazatlán, Sinaloa as a minimal hurricane, where it caused minimal damage due to the light population affected. It rapidly dissipated, although the remnants brought precipitation to Texas and other portions of the central and southern United States. There were no fatalities, and reported damage was minor.

The final named storm of the season originated from a tropical disturbance that crossed Nicaragua into the eastern Pacific Ocean. With warm waters and increasing cyclonic organization, it developed into Tropical Depression Twenty-Four on October 15 offshore Guatemala. The system moved quickly west-northwestward under the influence of a ridge over Mexico. Quickly intensifying, the depression attained tropical storm status early on October 16; it was given the name Roslyn by the Eastern Pacific Hurricane Center. An eye became visible on satellite imagery, and by October 17 the storm reached hurricane status, while located about 400 miles (640 km) south of Acapulco, Guerrero.

As water temperatures remained very warm along its path, the hurricane was able to intensify quickly. Roslyn reached peak winds of 145 mph (230 km/h) 48 hours after attaining hurricane status, while located about 550 miles (890 km) southwest of Manzanillo, Colima; that made it the strongest hurricane of the season. Roslyn maintained peak intensity for about 18 hours, during which it turned more to the northwest in response to a powerful advancing cold front. On October 20, the hurricane curved northeastward as steady weakening ensued. After bypassing southeast of the Baja California Peninsula, Hurricane Roslyn moved ashore on October 22 at Mazatlán, Sinaloa with winds of 75 mph (120 km/h). The low-level center rapidly dissipated, although the upper-level circulation continued northeastward along the advancing cold front. A frontal low developed in the western Gulf of Mexico, which moved over southeastern Texas and later through the Mississippi Valley. The original upper-level circulation maintained its northeast movement, bringing rainfall to the southeastern United States.