The long-term goals are to understand how variabilities in the large-scale atmospheric environment and the internal tropical cyclone structure influence tropical cyclone track and intensity characteristics and define how these influences differ between developing, mature, and decaying tropical cyclones. During the initial stages of tropical cyclone development, structure and track characteristics can exhibit large variabilities that pose difficult forecast situations. Because decaying tropical

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... yclones often transition to fast-moving and rapidly-developing extratropical cyclones that may contain gale-or storm-force winds, there is a need to improve understanding and prediction of the extratropical transition phase of a decaying tropical cyclone. Therefore, a tropical cyclone throughout its life cycle has the potential for impacting many fleet components.