A Warm Up Act?

 

Photo Credit: Ashley Adams

While the Atlantic hurricane season doesn’t officially get underway until June 1, at least one tropical storm has developed before then every year since 2015.  That's the longest such streak on record for the Atlantic Ocean Basin.  Colorado State University recently updated its 2021 Atlantic hurricane forecast and it calls for an above average season.  These are some of the more memorable preseasons storms that have developed in recent years.

2020:  Tropical Storm Arthur was the first of 30 named storms that developed.  It was officially named a tropical storm early on May 17 while off the east coast of Florida.  Arthur slowly tracked northward and reached a peak intensity of 60 mph sustained winds while east of North Carolina.  Tropical Storm Bertha also developed last May and made 2020 the third season in the last decade with two named storms prior to June 1.

2018:  Tropical Storm Alberto reached its peak intensity on May 27 with sustained winds of 65 mph while in the Gulf of Mexico.  It weakened slightly before making landfall in the Florida Panhandle and its impact reached areas well inland.  Rainfall from the remnants of Alberto reached as far north as Michigan on May 31. 

2017:  Tropical Storm Arlene became only the third tropical or subtropical storm to occur during the month of April.  Arlene was the first April storm since Ana in 2003 and an unnamed subtropical storm in April 1992.  Arlene developed in the central Atlantic and had peak sustained winds of 50 mph.   Tropical storms and hurricanes often have higher wind gusts, but the wind speeds meteorologists look at when measuring intensity refer to the maximum sustained winds around the center of circulation.

2016:  Hurricane Alex was the Atlantic’s first January hurricane since Alice in 1955.  At its peak intensity in the Central Atlantic, Alex was a Category 1 hurricane with sustained winds of 85 mph and a minimum central air pressure of 981 millibars (mb).  By comparison, standard sea level air pressure is approximately 1013.25 mb.  Bonnie was also named a tropical storm on May 28, giving the Atlantic Ocean two named storms prior to the official start of the hurricane season.