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December-15th,2006, 01:01 PM
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El NiÑo Yields Near Normal 2006 Atlantic Hurricane Season
El NiÑo Yields Near Normal 2006 Atlantic Hurricane Season
by Wayne Gentry, Meteorologist The 2006 Atlantic hurricane season has come to a close…and scientists have some definitive ideas on the season’s dearth of tropical activity. The shear (change of wind direction or speed with altitude) that inhibited storm development is now attributed to El Niño—a warming of the equatorial Pacific that influences wind patterns across the tropical Atlantic. The 2006 Atlantic hurricane season was actually near-normal with a total of nine named storms, including five hurricanes, two of which became major (Category 3 or above). The average Atlantic hurricane season has 11 named storms, six hurricanes, two major. The BIG difference of 2006 over the previous three, was that stronger storms remained out at sea, resulting in less damage. According to NOAA “El Niño developed quickly and the atmosphere responded rapidly.” Combined with large-scale patterns over the southeastern U.S. these conditions inhibited thunderstorms, which are the “seeds” of hurricane formation. The importance of El Nino in Atlantic weather patterns once seemed far fetched, but as NOAA continues to improve climate models, evidence proves the relationship is very real. One preliminary Hurricane forecast for 2007 has just hits the streets…Scientists at Colorado State University said the 2007 Atlantic Season will be busier-than-average…We should expect 14 tropical storms, seven becoming hurricanes. Of those seven hurricanes, three are expected to become major (cat 3 or above). With any luck, we’ll be wrong again. I’ll watch the sky…YOU stay tuned to the Tourist Network. NOAA Hurricane Portal: El Nino returns! 
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