The 2018 Hurricane Season: What To Expect In Mississippi

We’re officially in the thick of hurricane season. The season may have started off slow, but it seems to be picking up. Forecasters released predictions for the season as far back as April. Initially, activity was expected to be “slightly higher” than usual; however, it looks like things have changed. Keep reading to find out what to expect this hurricane season.

Though hurricane season runs from June 1st to November 30th, it peaks from mid-August to late October.

Last year, the season spawned several hurricanes, including Harvey, Irma, and Maria. There was also Hurricane Nate, which caused some flooding on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. But what about this year?

Back in August, Colorado State University (CSU) updated its 2018 Forecast of Atlantic Seasonal Hurricane Activity and Landfall Strike Probability.

In the initial report from April, forecasters expected activity to be "slightly higher than the 30-year average," which is 12 named storms, six hurricanes, and two major hurricanes.

In May, the NOAA echoed CSU’s predictions. According to NOAA, the season would be "slightly above the norm" with a 70 percent chance of between five and nine hurricanes and ten and sixteen named storms.

However, CSU’s forecast was updated in early August and now predicts a "below average" season. The forecast says we can expect nine named storms — three of which are predicted to become hurricanes.

So, why the constantly-changing forecast? A complicated mix of climate and weather variables is required for a hurricane to form, which is why there’s so much uncertainty when it comes to predicting them.

El Nino and "cooler-than-average sea surface temperatures" are two reasons the prediction for the 2018 hurricane season has been downgraded to "below average."

Hopefully, the recent predictions are correct and the season won’t be too active. What do you think? If a storm does hit Mississippi, how will you prepare? What storm from the past stands out the most? Tell us in the comments section.

To find out what the rest of the year has in store, check out the predictions for the 2018 winter season here.

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The Peak Of Hurricane Season Has Arrived And Here's What Mississippi Can Expect

Daniella DiRienzo

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