Seasonal Forecasts
Hurricane Activity Looms in 2010
The latest projections for the 2010 hurricane season appear to confirm earlier analyses―above average storm activity is in the offing.
The Gulf Coast and western Atlantic could see a spate of hurricane activity this year. (Photo By: NOAA)
The AccuWeather.com Hurricane Center said March 10 that five hurricanes could make landfall along the Gulf Coast and western Atlantic, with two to three of them reaching intense Category 3 status.
“This year has the chance to be an extreme season,” said Joe Bastardi, the company’s chief long-range meteorologist and hurricane forecaster. “It is certainly much more like 2008 than 2009 as far as the overall threat to the United States’ East and Gulf coasts.”
The AccuWeather numbers mirror projections issued in December by the Tropical Meteorology Project at Colorado State University. Researchers there predicted six to eight hurricanes will form in 2010, with three to five of them reaching Category 3 status.
In 2009, only three hurricanes formed, none of which made landfall in the United States. The season saw just nine tropical storms, the lowest total since 1997.
This year, Bastardi said 15 to 18 tropical storms could arise, mostly in the Atlantic basin and Gulf of Mexico.
Chief among the reasons behind the forecast is a weakening El Niño warming pattern, which tends to depress hurricane formation.
Additionally, temperatures are warmer in the Atlantic tropical breeding grounds, AccuWeather reported. Tropical storms tend to draw energy from warm water.
The Atlantic hurricane season begins on June 1 and continues through Nov. 30. The National Hurricane Center will issue its seasonal outlook in May.
Tags: Hurricanes, Seasonal Forecasts