This hopefully will be our new tool to help us fine-tune our watches and warnings.

Because it's such a large storm, when center is near Cuba, we could see rain bands. It is a larger hurricane than we typically see.

I really anguished over this a long time. I didn't want to throw something out there haphazardly just to make it a hurricane and set another record.

Exactly where and when it's going to make the turn, it's too uncertain to say.

At this time it doesn't appear it will be a major threat to the United States during the next five days.

Once Irene hits the icy waters of the North Atlantic in about 48 hours, any remaining tropical characteristics should quickly disappear.

They better take this hurricane dead-serious or they're going to be dead.

It's way out there and there's no indication that it's going to threaten land in the next five days.

Every once in a while you get just the right conditions.

That's one of the things about these slow moving systems, ... We'll be dealing with this storm in one way or another for the next several days.