Colorado State predicts 'above average' 2021 Atlantic hurricane season
In this NOAA GOES-East satellite handout image, Hurricane Dorian, now a Cat. 5 storm, tracks towards the Florida coast taken at 13:20Z September 1, 2019 in the Atlantic Ocean.
Colorado State University said that they anticipate that the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season will have above-normal activity, citing the likely absence of El Niño as a primary factor.
They published their extended forecast on Thursday, anticipating an above-average possibility for major hurricanes to make landfall along the continental United States coastline and in the Caribbean.
The team at Colorado State predicts 17 named storms during the Atlantic hurricane season.
Of those, researchers expect 8 to become hurricanes and 4 to reach major hurricane strength with sustained winds of 111 miles per hour or greater.
RELATED: WMO: Greek alphabet will no longer be used if hurricane names run out
The latest prediction is right on par with AccuWeather's forecast for the hurricane season.
Experts with AccuWeather expect the season to result in 16-20 named storms, including seven to 10 hurricanes. Of the storms projected to reach hurricane strength, three to five are predicted to become major hurricanes (Category 3 or higher storms).
The National Hurricane Center has released the list of names you can expect to hear from our FOX 35 meteorologists this year:
- Ana
- Bill
- Claudette
- Danny
- Elsa
- Fred
- Grace
- Henri
- Ida
- Julian
- Kate
- Larry
- Mindy
- Nicholas
- Odette
- Peter
- Rose
- Sam
- Teresa
- Victor
- Wanda
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said that the Greek alphabet will no longer be used to name tropical cyclones.
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Instead, they have a supplemental list that will be used if the regular names are exhausted. Last year, the Atlantic hurricane season put up a record 30 named storms --- requiring the use of the auxiliary Greek alphabet for the second time ever.
Hurricane season begins June 1 and runs through November 30.
Make sure you have the FOX 35 Weather App downloaded and ready to receive daily forecasts and to be the first to know when severe weather is coming to your area.