First day of hurricane season is today

THE WEATHER AUTHORITY, (WINK) — Today is June 1st, marking not only the start of meteorological summer but also the official beginning of the Atlantic hurricane season.

Early outlooks from NOAA and Colorado State University are both pointing toward a slightly below-average season. In a typical year, we see about 14 named storms, including 7 hurricanes and 3 major hurricanes. This year, CSU is forecasting around 13 storms, while NOAA gives a range of 8 to 14.

Of course, it only takes one storm to make it an active season locally.

One of the key reasons behind the lower-end projections is El Niño. During an El Niño pattern, warmer waters develop in the eastern Pacific near the coast of South America. That setup increases wind shear across the Caribbean and Atlantic. Wind shear, changes in wind speed and direction with height, can disrupt and weaken developing tropical systems.

We also have Saharan dust working in our favor through the next couple of months during the African monsoon season. Dust lifted from the Sahara travels across the Atlantic in the Saharan Air Layer, making the atmosphere much drier, sometimes up to 50% drier. That dry air can limit storm development by cutting off the moisture tropical systems need to strengthen.

Luckily for us, the National Hurricane Center is not expecting any tropical development over the next 7 days, according to their latest update.

No matter what this season brings, the WINK Weather Authority has you covered both on-air and online. Be sure to tune in to WINK Tracks the Tropics every weekday at 12:35 PM on Facebook, YouTube, and WINKNews.com for the latest updates.