2006 Hurricane Season Was Near Normal

Once again, Chicken Little was wrong. From NASA, January 18, 2007: THE 2006 HURRICANE SEASON WAS NEAR NORMAL After the record setting season of 2005 with 27 named tropical cyclones, many meteorologists and hurricane specialists were forecasting another above average hurricane season for 2006, but it didn't happen. NASA scientists have learned several reasons why. Although hurricane cycles still remain somewhat of a mystery that scientists are trying to solve, the general ingredients of what causes a hurricane to form are relatively well known. You need the winds to behave correctly, sea surface temperatures of at least 82 degrees Fahrenheit, and no interference from African dust, among other things. The Atlantic hurricane season ended on Nov. 30, and wound up having near-normal activity with nine named storms, including five hurricanes, two of which became major hurricanes of Category 3 strength or higher. An average Atlantic season has 11 named storms, with six growing into hurricanes and two becoming major hurricanes. Unlike the past three years, in 2006, the stronger hurricanes stayed at sea. READ THE FULL ARTICLE...