FORT COLLINS, Colo. (April 7) — Hurricane experts at Colorado State University have scaled back their prediction for the Atlantic and now say this will be an average season with 12 named storms, including six hurricanes. They say two of them could be major.
Researchers William Gray and Phil Klotzbach earlier predicted an above-average season with 14 named storms — seven of them hurricanes and three major.
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The hurricane season rusn from June 1 to Nov. 30.
Gray said Tuesday the forecast was dialed down because of improved chances of El Nino conditions that suppress hurricane formation.
This is Gray's 26th year of forecasting hurricanes.
His predictions are watched closely by emergency responders and others but critics say such long-range forecasts have little practical value beyond focusing public attention on the danger.
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Atlantic Hurricane Season 2008
The 2008 Atlantic storm season saw 16 named storms, including eight hurricanes. Five of those were major, reaching Category 3 strength or higher. Here, Hurricane Paloma hits Grand Cayman island on Nov. 7.
Joanna Lewis, AP
Joanna Lewis, AP
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Historic Hurricanes
A man tries to secure his boat in the Devonshire Bay after it broke from its mooring due to the winds of Hurricane Florence in Bermuda, Sept. 11, 2006. Florence blew out windows, peeled away the roofs of at least three houses and knocked out power to thousands before heading over open ocean.
Tamell Simons, The Royal Gazette / AP
Tamell Simons, The Royal Gazette / AP
