Slow start to predicted above average hurricane season

Hurricane Florence over the Atlantics close to the US coast . Gaping eye of a category 4 hurricane. Elements of this image furnished by NASA.

by: Travis Michels

Posted: May 26, 2022 / 03:48 PM MDT

Updated: May 26, 2022 / 03:49 PM MDT

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DENVER (KDVR) – For the seventh year in a row, NOAA is predicting an above-average hurricane season, but unlike the last seven years, we haven’t had any storms yet.

The latest first named storm to form in the last seven years was in 2018 when Tropical Storm Alberto formed on May 25. All other first-named storms over that time frame formed before May 25.

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) forecasts no tropical development for the next five days, taking us to the start of hurricane season, which touches down on June 1.

We have mostly been in a La Nina phase during those years, which favors a more active hurricane season. La Nina is in a positive phase for 2022, which confirms the above-average season forecast.

When the first-named storm will form is still unknown, but it will be named Alex. The NHC reuses storm names every six years and the last three storms named Alex (2004, 2010, & 2016) were all hurricanes.