Tropical Storm Claudette (1997)

Tropical Storm Claudette was the third named storm in the inactive 1997 Atlantic hurricane season. Claudette was a rather short-lived tropical cyclone over the western Atlantic. This tropical storm had a rather brief duration, forming on July 13 and dissipating on July 16. Claudette formed on July 13 from a frontal low that was detected on July 11.

It soon became a tropical storm; although unfavorable conditions prevented Claudette from strengthening any further than a 45 mph tropical storm. Tropical Storm Claudette would briefly weaken back to a tropical depression and re-strengthen to a tropical storm before ultimately merging with a frontal system on July 16. Claudette caused some rip currents along some states on the East Coast of the United States. Other than that, there were no reports of fatalities or damage.

Meteorological history
On July 11 a frontal system which caused Hurricane Bill to be forced to the northeast, generated a non-tropical frontal low. The frontal low remained nearly stationary and it was beginning to acquire a low-level circulation. After this the frontal system started dissipating, which caused the frontal low to become more independent of the frontal system. It was estimated that the frontal low became a tropical depression at 0600 UTC on July 13, this made it the third tropical depression of the season. Tropical Depression Three had also more at roughly 324 mi to the south-southeast of Wilmington, North Carolina.

Initially, it nearly stalled while off the coast of the United States; the forward speed as at only 2 - 3 mph. At about 1800 UTC later that day, Tropical Depression Three had been upgraded to a tropical storm; it received the name Claudette. This upgrade was based on a measurement of tropical storm force winds during a reconnaissance aircraft mission at the 750 ft flight level. Claudette was located about 273 mi to the southeast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. Banding features began to appear despite wind shear, only slight strengthening occurred as a result of these features. On July 14 at 0000 UTC Tropical Storm Claudette reached its peak intensity when its winds reached 45 mph.

Deep convection associated with Tropical Storm Claudette was sporadic and relatively disorganized. Most of the deep convection with Tropical Storm Claudette would flare up night. Tropical Storm Claudette was heading northward and ultimately turned to the east before a frontal system late on July 14. As it turned eastward, it began to accelerate and weaken. Beginning on July 15, Tropical Storm Claudette maintained minimal tropical storm status. It was discovered on July 16 at 0000 UTC that sustained winds had dropped to 35 mph, Claudette was downgraded to a tropical depression as a result of this discovery. It weakened while located roughly 303 mi to north of Bermuda. Claudette re-strengthened into a tropical storm six hours later and again maintained minimal tropical storm status. On the day of July 16, Tropical Storm Claudette began to merge with a front. Tropical Storm Claudette became a extratropical frontal low on July 16, 1800 UTC. The remnants of Tropical Storm Claudette were last seen as they dissipated near the Azores on July 23.

Impact
Tropical Storm Claudette had minimal effects on land. Severe rip currents from Tropical Storm Claudette in Connecticut caused one serious injury. No impact was reported elsewhere in the United States or on Bermuda. Some residents of coastal North Carolina were even disappointed that Claudette was to remain offshore, as the region was suffering from dry conditions.