When was the latest "start" to the Hurricane Season?

[micktooth]

With the Atlantic Season off to a slow start, I was wondering what was the latest start to the Atlantic Season? When was the latest date for the "A" storm? I tried looking this up online, but I couldn't find the answer. Thanks for all of your help.

[KBBOCA]

I don't vouch for the accuracy of the information, but I found the following in a USA Today story about the slow start to this year's Atlantic hurricane season:

Since the naming of storms began in 1953, the latest an Atlantic storm has formed was Anita on Aug. 29, 1977

http://www.usatoday.com/weather/storms/ ... ason_N.htm

[ConvergenceZone]

I don't vouch for the accuracy of the information, but I found the following in a USA Today story about the slow start to this year's Atlantic hurricane season:

Since the naming of storms began in 1953, the latest an Atlantic storm has formed was Anita on Aug. 29, 1977

http://www.usatoday.com/weather/storms/ ... ason_N.htm

Thanks for the link. I don't see that record being broken though. Perhaps the middle of August is what we'll be looking at. (that's the latest I see anyway)

[Ptarmigan]

The last time the hurricane season started this late was in 2004 and it was very active. Not saying that this year will be active. One of the most active season was a late starter and it was 1950 and it started in August.

[RL3AO]

Since 1950...

August 30, 1977 - Anita
August 30, 1967 - Arlene
August 29, 1984 - Arthur (was a subtropical storm in mid-August)
August 27, 1962 - Alma
August 17, 1992 - Andrew (was a subtropical storm in April)
August 15, 1983 - Alicia
August 13, 1974 - Alma
August 12, 1950 - Able
August 9, 1987 - TS #1
August 7, 1988 - Alberto
August 4, 2000 - Alberto
August 2, 1980 - Allen
August 2, 1963 - Arlene
August 1, 2004 - Alex
July 31, 1978 - Amelia
July 31, 1955 - Brenda
July 29, 1998 - Alex
July 27, 1969 - Anna
July 24, 1990 - Arthur
???? ??, 2009 - Ana?

As of July 20, 19 of 59 seasons have started later.

This is the latest start to the season since...2004.

[micktooth]

Since 1950...

August 30, 1977 - Anita
August 30, 1967 - Arlene
August 29, 1984 - Arthur (was a subtropical storm in mid-August)
August 27, 1962 - Alma
August 17, 1992 - Andrew (was a subtropical storm in April)
August 15, 1983 - Alicia
August 13, 1974 - Alma
August 12, 1950 - Able
August 9, 1987 - TS #1
August 7, 1988 - Alberto
August 4, 2000 - Alberto
August 2, 1980 - Allen
August 2, 1963 - Arlene
August 1, 2004 - Alex
July 31, 1978 - Amelia
July 31, 1955 - Brenda
July 29, 1998 - Alex
July 27, 1969 - Anna
July 24, 1990 - Arthur
???? ??, 2009 - Ana?

As of July 20, 19 of 59 seasons have started later.

This is the latest start to the season since...2004.

Wow, awesome answer. This board is the best!!!

[jinftl]

What happened with these late starting seasons....seasons that had the first storm after the current date (July 20)?

I have listed the total number of named storms that ended up forming.....the average of the seasons below is.....drum roll....11 storms. In other words, they average out to 'average' seasons.....and none had no storms. Look at 1984....first storm on August 29....season still ended up with 13 named storms. Patience.

August 30, 1977 - 6
August 30, 1967 - 8
August 29, 1984 - 13
August 27, 1962 - 5
August 17, 1992 - 7
August 15, 1983 -4
August 13, 1974 - 11
August 12, 1950 - 13
August 9, 1987 - 7
August 7, 1988 - 12
August 4, 2000 - 15
August 2, 1980 - 11
August 2, 1963 - 13
August 1, 2004 - 15
July 31, 1978 - 12
July 31, 1955 - 12
July 29, 1998 - 14
July 27, 1969 - 18
July 24, 1990 - 14
???? ??, 2009 - Ana?

Since 1950...
As of July 20, 19 of 59 seasons have started later.

This is the latest start to the season since...2004.

[hurricanetrack]

Sounds fine and dandy to me. Good research there folks. Nicely done. Appreciated by many I hope.

[Tampa Bay Hurricane]

Winter like trough over the east- this el ninos shear is stronger than 2006...this pattern may make the A storm happen later than in 2004....but hopefully
this year is NOT like 2004...which I don't think it will be
Shear is much stronger in the Gulf than in 06 or 04.

[senorpepr]

Okay, first--to make the playing field even--I've "given" a name to storms that were unnamed in prior conventions (prior to naming storms, prior to naming subtropical systems, and simply unnamed/upgraded storms.)

Also, keep in mind we're tossing out depressions (since we've already had one depression anyway). Besides, my database doesn't include depressions.

With all that said, to "literally" answer the question, 'when was the latest start to the hurricane season?' That would be 1914 when the first tropical storm (and only tropical storm that particular year) formed on September 14th. That storm made landfall along the FL/GA border.

Out of the 158 years of records available, 59 seasons (37.3%) formed on or after July 21st.

Below is a listing of when the first tropical storm (unnamed or subtropical included) formed for those seasons starting on or after July 21st.

Code: Select all

1903   21-Jul
1926   22-Jul
1990   24-Jul
1943   25-Jul
1969   27-Jul
1998   29-Jul
1937   29-Jul
1870   30-Jul
1955   31-Jul
1947   31-Jul
1915   31-Jul
2004   01-Aug
1918   01-Aug
1881   01-Aug
1877   01-Aug
1980   02-Aug
1963   02-Aug
1898   02-Aug
1928   03-Aug
2000   04-Aug
1853   05-Aug
1855   06-Aug
1988   07-Aug
1885   07-Aug
1938   08-Aug
1863   08-Aug
1860   08-Aug
1987   09-Aug
1911   09-Aug
1879   09-Aug
1856   09-Aug
1950   12-Aug
1869   12-Aug
1895   14-Aug
1983   15-Aug
1875   16-Aug
1942   17-Aug
1935   18-Aug
1883   18-Aug
1984   19-Aug
1927   19-Aug
1852   19-Aug
1949   21-Aug
1930   21-Aug
1910   23-Aug
1882   24-Aug
1962   27-Aug
1900   27-Aug
1977   30-Aug
1967   30-Aug
1923   30-Aug
1897   31-Aug
1884   01-Sep
1868   03-Sep
1925   06-Sep
1905   06-Sep
1920   07-Sep
1876   09-Sep
1941   11-Sep
1914   14-Sep


[JonathanBelles]

Thanks Senor!!!

Out of the 158 years of records available, 59 seasons (37.3%) formed on or after July 21st.

more than 1/3 of seasons started later...a very good reminder that this is not really a late season. And it really doesn't matter when the first storm forms, its which ones make landfall, which only takes one.

[senorpepr]

And it really doesn't matter when the first storm forms, its which ones make landfall, which only takes one.

I want to piggy-back on this.

As I mentioned before, I included subtropical storms into the list because in today's naming convention, they're named.

In 1992, subtropical storms weren't named. The first system that year, a subtropical storm formed on April 22nd. The next named storm (Andrew) formed on August 17th.

That may have been a late/slow start, but it wasn't pretty.

[KWT]

Of course the thing is before 1950 data can't be trusted, many of those earlier systems may have seen weak TS systems or even subtropical systems that were missed or ignored because they weren't thought to be real systems.

At least since 1950 we are in the slowest 1/3rd of all seasons which I think is a better guide then including years that could have some data issues in some of it.

[wxman57]

I'd add that prior to the modern era of GOES satellite, there were many short-lived systems that were never named throughout the season, so you really can't trust the data too much prior to the 1970s.

[Derek Ortt]

and in 1992, this was NOT classified as a TC in May

http://www.camex4.com/photos/10064592_m.jpg

[KBBOCA]

Oh Derek, cool pic. What was the track on that? Pretty darn impressive "non-storm"!

and in 1992, this was NOT classified as a TC in May

http://www.camex4.com/photos/10064592_m.jpg

[micktooth]

http://www.wunderground.com/hurricane/at199298.asp

Wrong Storm, my bad

[senorpepr]

http://www.wunderground.com/hurricane/at199298.asp

That's the track of the subtropical storm in April, not the "polar" low near Bermuda in May that Derek mentioned.

[gatorcane]

I noticed 1992 and 2004 keep coming up as years that have started slow. I actually looked back at some South Florida hurricane climatology and noticed other impact years were those that started slow as well. Here are some of the years and dates of the first named systems (1992 and 2004 included):

1925: Hurricane #1 22 JUL- 2 AUG
1928: Hurricane #1 3-12 AUG
1935: 1 Hurricane #1 18-26 AUG
1941: Tropical Storm #1 11-16 SEP
1947: 1 Tropical Storm #1 31 JUL- 2 AUG
1949: 1 Hurricane #1 21-28 AUG
1992: Hurricane ANDREW 16-28 AUG
2004: Hurricane ALEX 31 JUL- 6 AUG

Of course we can cite several other slow-starting years where South FL was not impacted at all as well. Here is a useful link to see what happened each year. For the examples above, all of these are impacts from the East:

http://weather.unisys.com/hurricane/atlantic/

[JonathanBelles]

NWS Tampa Bay compiled some statistics and a few graphs about late starting seasons, # of Storms, land falling storms, and Florida.

http://www.srh.noaa.gov/images/tbw/TopN ... eStart.pdf