Colorado State updates Tropical Atlantic Forecast

PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) - Colorado State produces one of the few well known yearly hurricane season forecasts and they’ve increased their forecasted storms for the 2022 season. Due to a neutral ENSO phase or weak La Niña over the next several months and sea surface temperatures across the Atlantic Basin already above average, the forecast calls for an above-normal probability for major hurricanes making landfall along the U.S. coastline.

Colorado has increased their named storms from an earlier prediction in April of 19 storms to now 20 named storms. The number of hurricanes forecasted has been increased by 1 from 9 to 10 as well as the number of major hurricanes from 4 to 5.

At the moment we are currently monitoring the Western Caribbean and Southern Gulf for likely development of a tropical depression or storm within the next couple days. Regardless of development, heavy rains are forecast for South Florida, with several inches of rain possible anywhere down the peninsula south of I-4.

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