Early forecast: 6 hurricanes predicted in ’23

Some uncertainty, but slightly below averages season with 13 named storms, 2 major hurricanes prognosticated

By CJ HADDAD cjhaddad@breezenewspapers com

Following seven straight years of predicted “aboveaverage” activity, top hurricane forecasters feel the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season will buck the trend

Researchers at Colorado State University, now in its 40th year of forecasting the upcoming hurricane season, are predicting a slightly below-average Atlantic hurricane season, which starts June 1 CSU is forecasting there will be 13 named storms, six hurricanes, and two major hurricanes Last year, CSU predicted 19 named storms, including nine hurricanes and four major

CSU’s Meteorology Project team anticipates the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season to be below average due to a number of factors, but uncertainty still remains.

Often used to paint a picture of the upcoming season is the El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) whether the waters in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean are warmer or cooler, typically referred to as El Nino (warmer) or La Nina (cooler)

“Current neutral ENSO conditions look fairly likely to transition to El Nino this summer/fall,: states CSU researches in the report “However, there is considerable uncertainty as to how strong an El Nino would be, if it