Tropical Storm Alfa (1973)

Tropical Storm Alfa peaked at 40 kt in the North Atlantic between July 30, 1973 and August 2, 1973, with a lowest pressure of 1005 mb.

Track and intensity

The whole track of Tropical Storm Alfa, colored by strength, with the other storms of the 1973 season in the same basin behind it, and its wind and pressure hour by hour. Every fix is in the track table below.

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The storm

Basin: North Atlantic
Dates: July 30, 1973 to August 2, 1973
Peak strength: Tropical Storm, 40 kt (46 mph)
Lowest pressure: 1005 mb (29.68 inHg)
Landfall: No; closest approach 34 km (21 mi)
Accumulated cyclone energy: 0.0
Fastest the center moved: 15 kt (17 mph)
Identifier: AL061973

Deaths and damage

No source this site reads publishes a machine-readable casualty or damage figure for a storm of this era. The National Hurricane Center’s season tables begin in 1995 and carry deaths and damage only from 2005 in the Atlantic and 2020 in both basins; the US Storm Events record begins in 1996.

Rainfall

The Weather Prediction Center attributes 574 rain gauge totals over the contiguous United States to this storm. The wettest reached 5.03 inches (128 mm).

Station	Total	Position
TURNERS FALLS	5.03 in (128 mm)	42.62N 72.55W
TURNERS FALLS	5.03 in (128 mm)	42.62N 72.55W
CHESTER 2	4.02 in (102 mm)	42.30N 72.98W
CHESTER 2	4.02 in (102 mm)	42.30N 72.98W
CONCORD MUNI AP	3.72 in (94 mm)	43.20N 71.50W
CONCORD MUNI AP	3.72 in (94 mm)	43.20N 71.50W
STOCKBRIDGE	3.30 in (84 mm)	42.30N 73.33W
STOCKBRIDGE	3.30 in (84 mm)	42.30N 73.33W
MT SUNAPEE	2.94 in (75 mm)	43.33N 72.08W
MT SUNAPEE	2.94 in (75 mm)	43.33N 72.08W
CONWAY 1 N	2.61 in (66 mm)	44.00N 71.12W
CONWAY 1 N	2.61 in (66 mm)	44.00N 71.12W

WPC’s storm rainfall file, 1900 to 2020, compiled by David Roth.

Track

Time (UTC)	Position	Wind	Pressure	Status
Jul 30, 12:00	32.6N 74.1W	25 kt	1013 mb	Subtropical depression
Jul 30, 18:00	33.8N 73.3W	30 kt		Subtropical depression
Jul 31, 00:00	35.0N 72.5W	35 kt		Subtropical storm
Jul 31, 06:00	36.3N 71.7W	35 kt		Subtropical storm
Jul 31, 12:00	37.5N 70.8W	40 kt		Subtropical storm
Jul 31, 18:00	38.5N 70.2W	35 kt	1005 mb	Subtropical storm
Aug 1, 00:00	39.6N 69.7W	35 kt	1006 mb	Subtropical storm
Aug 1, 06:00	40.5N 69.4W	30 kt	1007 mb	Subtropical depression
Aug 1, 12:00	41.5N 69.1W	25 kt	1007 mb	Subtropical depression
Aug 1, 18:00	42.7N 68.8W	25 kt	1008 mb	Subtropical depression
Aug 2, 00:00	44.0N 68.0W	25 kt	1010 mb	Subtropical depression

Other North Atlantic storms of 1973

What this means

A best track is the record a warning agency settles on after the storm, not what it said at the time: position, maximum sustained wind and central pressure every six hours, revised against every observation that came in later. Category is the Saffir-Simpson scale, which runs from Category 1 at 64 kt to Category 5 at 137 kt and reads wind only, so it says nothing about surge or rain. Accumulated cyclone energy adds up the square of the wind through the storm's life, so it counts strength and duration together.

Sources

Storm history from NOAA NCEI’s International Best Track Archive for Climate Stewardship (IBTrACS), which merges the official best track of every warning agency. Live storms, cones, watches and warnings from the National Hurricane Center and the Central Pacific Hurricane Center. Archived radar from NOAA’s Level II archive.

The National Hurricane Center has published no tropical cyclone report for this storm.