Tracking the Tropics: Are above-average hurricane seasons the new normal?

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — We're officially past the halfway mark of the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season, but that doesn't mean we're done seeing storms.

Already, Colorado State University Senior Research Scientist and renowned hurricane specialist Phil Klotzbach told WFLA.com there have been about 70% more named storms than the whole season average dating back to 1961.

Klotzbach has gained notoriety since becoming the lead author of Colorado State University's Seasonal Hurricane Forecasts in 2006. The forecasts have become a primary source for hurricane season predictions behind the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) due to their accuracy and reliability.

CSU's latest hurricane forecast, released Aug. 3, predicted a total of 18 named storms, nine hurricanes, and four major hurricanes. The figures were in line with NOAA's calls for an “above-normal” 2023 Atlantic hurricane season.

NOAA cited unusually warm sea surface temperatures which are “likely to counterbalance the usually limiting” effects of the ongoing El Nino event. However, researchers did not expect this hurricane season to bring record-high sea surface temperatures and record-low wind shear, enabling storms like Hurricane Lee to rapidly intensify into major hurricanes.

What's on the horizon is still uncertain, however, Klotzbach will join WFLA's Tracking the Tropics team live Wednesday to discuss Hurricane Lee's latest track, a disturbance with an 80% chance of development, and what residents along the East Coast can expect for the remainder of the 2023 hurricane season.

Viewers will also have the opportunity to have their questions answered by Klotzbach and the rest of the Tracking the Tropics team by leaving a comment on the WFLA Facebook page.

Watch Tracking the Tropics Wednesdays at 12:30 p.m. ET/11:30 a.m. CT.
Be prepared with the WFLA Hurricane-Ready Guide 2023 and stay ahead of tropical development with the Tracking the Tropics newsletter.