"What's the deal with these super-sized Category 1 and 2 hurricanes"

[phantom power]

2. What's the deal with these super-sized Category 1 and 2 hurricanes that have been hitting the U.S.? The past three landfalling hurricanes in the U.S.--Isaac (2012), Irene (2011), and Ike (2008)--have all been exceptionally large, among the top ten on record for horizontal extent of tropical storm-force winds. Each of these storms had an unusually low pressure characteristic of a storm one full Saffir-Simpson category stronger. Is this the new normal for U.S. hurricanes?

http://www.wunderground.com/blog/JeffMasters/comment.html?entrynum=2216

[Drale]

1. Witchcraft. /nt

[GreenPartyVoter]

2. And double-plus extra gayness

[kurt_cagle]

3. Possibly

It's hard to generalize about changes in hurricane behavior based on three storms, but I wouldn't be at all surprised. The Gulf of Mexico is warmer than in decades past, which means that there is more hot water vapor being picked up in to the cell, which in turn translates into more energy necessary to move that water vapor around (which also extends the hurricane's horizontal extent). When the storms hit landfall and the source of energy into the eye disappears, that water vapor precipitates out as extended rain storms.

The practical long term of this, assuming no phase changes once a certain energy level is reached, is that you'll see more "Gulf Sized" hurricanes that are as destructive for their rainfall as for their winds.