# Can Storms Smash Together To Make Bigger Storms? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 24, 2005, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-storms-smash-together-to-make-bigger-storms/327617 "2005-10-24T03:57:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2005, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-storms-smash-together-to-make-bigger-storms/327617/1 "2005-10-24T03:57:24Z")
Looking at the tracks for Wilma and Alpha, they could possibly, though not likely, run into each other. Would such an interaction be positive, negative, or neutral in terms of the storm intensity? ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2005, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-storms-smash-together-to-make-bigger-storms/327617/2 "2005-10-24T04:17:48Z")
[Giant storms collide on Jupiter (October 2000)](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/988346.stm) > [@](#): > > For the first time, astronomers have seen two giant storms on Jupiter collide and merge to form an even bigger storm. [Cassini watches as two storms merge on Saturn (April 2004)](http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0404/09saturnstorms/) > [@](#): > > Three months before Saturn arrival, the Cassini spacecraft caught two storms in the act of merging into one larger storm. This is only the second time this phenomenon has been observed on the ringed planet. [Merging Vortices](http://www.mae.cornell.edu/fdrl/research/vortex_interactions.html) ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2005, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-storms-smash-together-to-make-bigger-storms/327617/3 "2005-10-24T04:38:48Z")
Sure, storms can merge. “Smash” might not be the right term, but depending on how the interaction goes between weather systems, a storm can certainly be intensified. For example, the “perfect storm” of October 1991 was, if I’m reading this description correctly, was the result of a merger [between a powerful low pressure system and the remnants of Hurricane Grace.](http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/satellite/satelliteseye/cyclones/pfctstorm91/pfctstorm.html). It doesn’t even have to be two low pressure areas. A lot of major blizzards on the East Coast are caused when a strong high pressure area blocks the passage of a low, bringing in cold air and blocking the low pressure area from moving offshore. ---
**Author:** ![scotandrsn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a4c791/32.png) [@scotandrsn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scotandrsn)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2005, 11:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-storms-smash-together-to-make-bigger-storms/327617/4 "2005-10-24T11:13:16Z")
> [@Finagle](#): > > …For example, the “perfect storm” of October 1991 was, if I’m reading this description correctly, was the result of a merger [between a powerful low pressure system and the remnants of Hurricane Grace.](http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/satellite/satelliteseye/cyclones/pfctstorm91/pfctstorm.html). As someone who was on hand for the “perfect storm” and therefore watched the local weather forecasts at the time with, shall we say, great interest, this is exactly what was going on. In his book, Sebastian Junger even shows a map where the combined storms actually briefly form a massive, though unnamed hurricane. Whether he extrapolated this idea himself, or this was the analysis of the many meteorological professionals he spoke to, I don’t recall. ---
**Author:** ![scotandrsn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a4c791/32.png) [@scotandrsn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scotandrsn)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2005, 11:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-storms-smash-together-to-make-bigger-storms/327617/5 "2005-10-24T11:15:05Z")
> [@scotandrsn](#): > > As someone who was on hand for the “perfect storm” and therefore watched the local weather forecasts at the time with, shall we say, great interest, this is exactly what was going on. In his book, Sebastian Junger even shows a map where the combined storms actually briefly form a massive, though unnamed hurricane. Whether he extrapolated this idea himself, or this was the analysis of the many meteorological professionals he spoke to, I don’t recall. Of course, reading Finagle’s link first mighta helped answer my uncertainty… :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2005, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-storms-smash-together-to-make-bigger-storms/327617/6 "2005-10-24T11:48:26Z")
The National Oceanic & Atmospheric guys expect that Tropical Depression Alpha is going to get absorbed by Hurricane Wilma on Tuesday. If you look at the 3-day and 5-day tracks for Alpha, neither of them go past tomorrow. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2005, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-storms-smash-together-to-make-bigger-storms/327617/7 "2005-10-24T12:46:47Z")
> [@Diceman](#): > > The National Oceanic & Atmospheric guys expect that Tropical Depression Alpha is going to get absorbed by Hurricane Wilma on Tuesday. If you look at the 3-day and 5-day tracks for Alpha, neither of them go past tomorrow. The radio was also saying that the Wilma-Alpha hurricane might meet up with a nor’easter forming in the NYC area. :eek: