Summary of 2009 Atlantic Hurricane Season December 1, 2009

The 2009 Atlantic Hurricane Season will be remembered as a below-average season.  There were nine named storms, including three hurricanes.  Two of the hurricanes were major (Category 3 or higher on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale).  Only two tropical storms made landfall in the U.S.:  Claudette in the Florida panhandle in August and Ida near Dauphin [...]

Late November Tropical Cylcones November 16, 2009

The graphic below shows the formation points of 26 tropical storms during the period November 15-30 from the National Hurricane Center’s historical data set extending from 1851 to 2008. 
The tropics remain quiet at the moment and the long-range models don’t show any tropical cyclone developments.  If we don’t have any more tropical storms or hurricanes, 2009 will go [...]

Goodbye Ida November 10, 2009

Tropical Storm Ida made landfall early this morning with the center moving inland over the Alabama coast.  The system has now lost all tropical characteristics and is what is called an “extratropical” cyclone.  That just means that the cyclone looks more like a winter-time low than it does a tropical cyclone.  The center is over [...]

Tropical versus Extratropical November 9, 2009

For several days, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) has been talking about Ida becoming “extratropical.”  The definition of extratropical used by NHC is as follows:
“Extratropical:  A term used in advisories and tropical summaries that indicate that a cyclone has lost its “tropical” characteristics.  The term implies both poleward displacement of the cyclone and the conversion [...]

Was Hurricane Ida a Surprise? November 5, 2009

Some have asked if Ida becoming a hurricane this morning was a surprise.  I can’t speak for the National Hurricane Center (NHC) forecasters, but I suspect they would say that it takes a lot to really surprise them.  The NHC Hurricane Specialists  issue forecasts on over 25 tropical cyclones each year if you combine the Atlantic [...]

November Tropical Cyclone Activity November 3, 2009

The first five months of the 2009 Atlantic Hurricane Season have produced well below average tropical cyclone activity.  November has had some memorable events, including last year’s Hurricane Paloma, a Category 4 hurricane that struck Cuba.  But normally, November doesn’t produce much activity.  During the satellite era starting in 1966, the Atlantic has averaged 0.6 tropical storms and 0.4 hurricanes [...]

Severe Weather Information Center (SWIC) October 29, 2009

I’m occasionally asked for a source on tropical cyclone forecasts in ocean basins other than the Atlantic.  There is a World Meteorological Organization (WMO) web site, called the Severe Weather Information Center or SWIC, that was originally intended for the media to access basic information on current tropical cyclones issued by WMO Regional Specialized Meteorological [...]

Tropical Cyclone Tracks of the North Atlantic Ocean October 23, 2009

In my opinion, one of the most useful publications on tropical cyclones in the Atlantic basin is the so-called “Track Book.”   The publication has been recently updated and shows tracks of all the tropical/subtropical storms and hurricanes going back to 1851.  These tracks are shown by individual year, my month, and by 10-day intervals.
In addition, [...]

Is the Atlantic Hurricane Season Over? October 21, 2009

Several people have asked me if I think that the Atlantic hurricane season is over.   During the past ten years, we have had two seasons that ended in early October – in 2002 and in 2006.  But I assure you that no one can tell you with absolute certainty whether this season is already over [...]

Late Season Hurricanes October 16, 2009

Although there are no tropical disturbances in the Atlantic basin that show a potential for tropical cyclone development at the moment, I would like to jog our memories a little with a reminder of some recent late season hurricanes that impacted South Florida.

Late Season Hurricanes Near South Florida

In October 1999, Hurricane Irene was a Category [...]