The Colorado State University hurricane forecast team has increased its forecast from an above-average season to very active for 2020. CSU forecaster Jhordanne Jones says they are predicting 19 named storms, up from 16, along with now nine hurricanes, up from eight.
“It isn’t that we have seen particularly a difference in hurricane conditions or the environment but we are including Arthur, Bertha, and Cristobal in this forecast,” said Jones.
Expected major hurricanes remained at four.
Jones says this season is still being driven by the lack of an influential El Nino, and it appears that will be the case for this season.
“Early on in the year we did forecast that El Nino is either nonexistent or cold on the colder side of neutral, but there may also be a higher chance of a La Nina developing,” said Jones.
The Gulf Coast and East Coast of the US combined now have a 70 percent chance of suffering a major hurricane. When looking at just the Gulf Coast.
“We have predicted a 43 percent chance of there being a hurricane landfall, but a 16 percent chance of their being a major hurricane landfall in Louisiana,” said Jones.
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