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NOAA Forecasts Near- To Above-Average Hurricane Season

NOAA predicts 10-16 named storms, with 1-4 of them being major hurricanes.

Columbia, SC (WLTX) - Forecasters at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration just released their 2018 hurricane season prediction. They anticipate a near- to above-average hurricane season.

An average season produces 12 named storms, 6 being hurricanes. It also includes 3 major hurricanes, which are hurricanes of category 3 or greater.

Last year NOAA predicted 2017 would be an above average season, and it certainly was. There were 17 named storms, 10 of which were hurricanes, and 6 became major hurricanes.

2017 was a little bit more than NOAA had anticipated in terms of major hurricanes. They had predicted 2-5 major hurricanes. Overall, last year’s prognostication was accurate.

NOAA looks to many climate signals to see if a season will be active. This year, sea-surface temperatures have been near average. They are also anticipating a weak El Nino, which tends to mitigate hurricane frequency in the Atlantic.

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