Hurricane Sandy losing tropical nature, but gaining girth

OCT. 28, 2012 - Images from NASA show the enormity of Hurricane Sandy as it heads toward the coast
Photographer: NASA
Copyright: CNN

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Posted: 10/29/2012

By: Associated Press
By: SETH BORENSTEIN

WASHINGTON (AP) - Hurricane Sandy as it moved toward land Monday was beginning to morph from hurricane into hybrid storm. The change signals a more diffuse storm that will be bigger and sloppier.

National Hurricane Center Director Rick Knabb said Sandy was beginning to lose its tropical nature as it merges with a cold weather system that is already dumping snow in West Virginia.

Sandy has been among the largest-sized hurricanes. Meteorologist Jeff Masters said that as a hybrid, Sandy's damage will be even wider, but it will be less intense.

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Its force will extend as far as Chicago, where the National Weather Service already has issued high wind warnings and a lakeshore flood warning.