Tropical Depression Adrian formed Tuesday off the coast of Mexico, becoming the first named storm system of the Eastern Pacific hurricane season and marking the earliest start to the season since the satellite era of tracking began.
Tropical Depression Adrian formed Tuesday off the coast of Mexico, becoming the first named storm system of the Eastern Pacific hurricane season and marking the earliest start to the season since the satellite era of tracking began.
The Eastern Pacific hurricane season officially starts May 15.
The formation of the tropical depression does not mean Hawaii should expect a change in the start of its own hurricane season, however.
The Central Pacific season begins June 1. The National Weather Service will issue its seasonal outlook May 24.
“Climatalogically, the Eastern Pacific hurricane season starts earlier,” NWS forecaster Jeff Powell said Wednesday. “That’s just what the record shows.”
He added that Tropical Depression Adrian currently is closer to Chicago than to Hawaii. The Eastern and Central basins are delineated by the 140th meridian west.
In addition to an earlier start to its season, the Eastern Pacific also has a broader peak for storm formation. Storms typically begin in late May and continue through late October.
By contrast, the Central Pacific has a much more concentrated timeline for storms, with a peak in August. Last year, the first named tropical storm did not occur until July.
Since 1971, there have been no tropical storms recorded in May in the Central Pacific. Globally, May is the least active month of the storm season.
Email Ivy Ashe at iashe@hawaiitribune-herald.com.