2014 Atlantic Hurricane OutlookPosted: May 7, 2014, 12:06 pm by 
 ntroiano
	
	
	
		
		
		
		
	
	
		
	 
For  those of you who follow tropical weather, it should come as no surprise  that last year’s hurricane season can be described as a total “dud.” In  fact, statistically speaking, it was the least active non-El Niño  season in recorded history. This resulted in minimal impacts for the  nation as a whole. Aside from the season’s first named storm, Andrea, no  other system had a direct impact as a tropical entity on the United  States. Looking ahead, the main question is will we luck out for yet  another year, or will this season prove to be more destructive?  Fortunately for those East Coast residents looking for some good news,  the 2014 Atlantic Hurricane Season looks to feature another year of  suppressed activity. Considering landfall probability is directly tied  to the abundance of storms in a given year, the potential for a direct  hurricane strike will also be much lower than would otherwise be  expected. With that being said, however, remember that it only takes one  storm to provide lasting impacts on a specific community. As such, it  is always important to be prepared, even in the case of a below normal  seasonal forecast.
  
 
Key Factors for the 2014 Hurricane Season  
  The modern era (1995 to present-day) has largely been characterized by  higher than normal tropical activity compared to the previous period.  The reason for this is that the phase of a global index known as the  Atlantic Multi-decadal Oscillation (AMO) has been in its positive (or  warm) phase over that period of time. For those of you unfamiliar with  this index, the AMO is strongly tied to movement, propagation, and  overturning of ocean currents across the North Atlantic Basin. When the  AMO is positive, equatorial ocean currents have an easier time  transporting warm waters from the tropics into the mid-latitudes.  This  typically results in an overall abundance of above normal ocean  temperatures and therefore promotes increased tropical activity. With  that being said, the phase of the AMO has trended downward beginning  earlier this winter and has now dropped into its negative phase – where  it is expected to stay through at least the first part of the summer.  With this being the case, the rules mentioned above do not apply to this  year – and as a result, we will likely see a better likelihood of  suppressed activity when compared to average.
 
  
 The North Atlantic Oscillation
 
  For those of you who follow our long-range blogs closely, you will most  likely recall that for the majority of this past winter season, the  state of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) was in a persistently  positive phase. Aside from a lack of blocking and the development of an  anomalous area of low pressure south of Greenland (which has effects on  sensible weather across the US), a + NAO phase also has other  implications across the entire northern hemisphere – including the  tropical Atlantic. One of these is tied to the development of a stronger  than normal area of high pressure off the Northern African Coast. In  turn, this stronger area of high pressure promotes increased wind shear  across the main development region of the Atlantic Ocean. Additionally,  this pattern is also tied to increased upwelling, which allows colder  deep-ocean water to mix to the surface. Both these factors are  historically correlated to decreased tropical activity in the subsequent  summer and fall, and therefore play a big part in why we think the  upcoming season will be relatively inactive. An idealized schematic of  this past winter's pattern is included above for reference.
 
The Development of El Niño
 
 Another index that will likely have a say in what ends up transpiring  this hurricane season is the expected development of El Niño. After  being cooler than average for the better part of the winter, sea surface  temperatures across the equatorial Pacific have already risen above  normal, which is likely a precursor to the development of El Niño  conditions. Recall that this oscillation is commonly associated with  cooler than normal ocean waters and enhanced wind shear across the  Atlantic Basin – often resulting in below normal tropical activity. It  is looking likely that El Niño conditions will fully develop either  later this summer or early in the autumn and act to curtail activity for  the peak months and latter half of the season. This adds further  confidence to a forecast of below normal activity.
  
 
2014 Hurricane Forecast
  
   
 Taking the above mentioned parameters into account, the overall  tropical cyclone forecast for 2014 has been included above. Look for a  total of 6 – 10 named storms to develop, of which 3 – 5 are expected to  become hurricanes, and 1 – 2 could reach major hurricane status  (Category 3 or higher, winds of 111+ mph). Note that this is below the  long-term climatology of 11 storms, 6 hurricanes, and 2 major  hurricanes. As alluded to previously, the overall lack of activity will  likely result in fewer chances for direct coastal impacts (see below).   Although significant impacts are not unheard of during El Niño events,  the vast majority of landfalls during our analog or scenario year  database shows most of these systems tend to strike either the central  Gulf of Mexico or the Southeast Coast. Further north, landfall potential  is expected to be minimal or low for all areas north of the North  Carolina / Virginia border…which is also below average compared to  climatology.
  
 
  
 Lead high-resolution hurricane image courtesy of NOAA.