(WGHP) – The first forecast for the 2025 hurricane season has been released by the leading hurricane researchers at Colorado State University.
CSU released Thursday its first look at the upcoming hurricane season, which officially begins June 1.
CSU’s forecast calls for 17 named storms, nine of which are hurricanes and four of which are major hurricanes.
How does this compare to a “normal” hurricane season?
It’s slightly above normal for named storms, 17, with the average number of named storms from 1991-2020 being 14.4.
They’re also calling for a slightly above-normal number of hurricanes, nine, this season against an average of 7.2 hurricanes.
Even their forecast for the number of major hurricanes, four, is slightly above normal compared to the average of 3.2 major hurricanes.
That being said, Colorado State University’s initial outlook for the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season calls for a slightly above normal season.
Why are forecasters calling for a slightly more active hurricane season?
The research team says current La Niña conditions are expected to transition to ENSO neutral conditions in the next couple of months, but there is still uncertainty over which phase of ENSO we’ll be in come summer and fall.
They also cite that sea surface temperatures in the eastern and central Atlantic are generally warmer than normal. However, they’re not as warm as they were at this time last year.
When sea surface temperatures are warmer than normal in the tropical Atlantic and an ENSO neutral phase is in place in the Pacific, the combination typically provides a more conducive environment for tropical cyclone formation and intensification.
CSU’s research team also anticipates an above-average chance for major hurricanes to make landfall along the continental United States coastline and in the Caribbean.
The next update from Colorado State University’s research team is expected on June 11.
