Tropical Storm Julio

Tropical Storm Julio was a tropical storm that made landfall on the southern tip of Baja California Sur in August 2008. The tenth named storm of the 2008 Pacific hurricane season, it developed from a tropical wave on August 23 off the coast of Mexico. It moved parallel to the coast, reaching peak winds of 50 mph (85 km/h) before moving ashore and weakening. On August 26 it dissipated in the Gulf of California. Julio was the third tropical cyclone to make landfall in the Pacific Ocean basin during the season, after Tropical Storm Alma, which struck Nicaragua in May, and Tropical Depression Five-E, which moved ashore along southwestern Mexico in July. The storm brought locally heavy rainfall to southern Baja California, killing one person and leaving several towns isolated. Moisture from Julio reached Arizona, producing thunderstorms, including one which damaged ten small planes in Chandler. Meteorological history On August 20, a tropical wave became discernible about 800 miles (1300 km) off the coast of Mexico, which in the next day developed a large area of convection, or thunderstorms. Initially, conditions were unfavorable for development, due to strong upper-level wind shear. Tracking northwestward parallel to the Mexican coast, the system became better organized on August 22, though later that day its structure deteriorated. On August 23, a strong area of convection developed and persisted near a circulation center, despite strong wind shear. With banding features becoming more prominent, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) classified the system as Tropical Depression Eleven-E about 345 miles (555 km) south-southeast of the southern tip of the Baja California Peninsula. The tropical depression initially moved northwestward around the southwestern periphery of a ridge over Mexico. Convection continued to develop to the west of the center, and late on August 23, a ship report confirmed the depression intensified Tropical Storm Julio. Initially, the persistent shear left the center partially exposed from the thunderstorm activity, though upper level conditions gradually became more favorable for strengthening. On August 24, Tropical Storm Julio attained peak winds of 50 mph (85 km/h) as intense convection developed near the center. Shortly thereafter, the center became difficult to locate, and late on August 24 the storm moved ashore along the southwestern coast of the Baja California Peninsula.