List of off-season Pacific hurricanes

The list of off-season Pacific hurricanes is a list of all recorded tropical and subtropical cyclones that existed in the East Pacific basin outside of the official Pacific hurricane season. The boundaries of the East Pacific stretch from Latin America westward to 140°W, while the Central Pacific is from 140°W to 180°W, which is the International Dateline. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration currently defines the season as occurring between May 15 (June 1 for the Central Pacific) and November 30 each calender year,[1] which is when 99% of all East Pacific tropical cyclones occur. In the off-season, storms are most likely to occur in December, with approximately 44% of such storms occurring during that month. Occasionally, however, storms develop in late November and persist until December, such as Hurricane Nina of 1957.

Few off-season tropical cyclones in the East Pacific have had impact, and none of them have made landfall.[2] Only Hurricane Nina caused both property damage and fatalities, while remaining just offshore of the Hawaiian Islands. The strongest hurricane between December to May was Hurricane Ekeka in 1992, which reached winds of 115 miles per hour (185 km/h). However, after Tropical Storm Paka crossed the International Date Line, it intensified into a typhoon with winds equivalent to a Category 5 hurricane. The most recent off-season storm was Tropical Storm Omeka in December 2010.

Contents

Background

The beginning of HURDAT, the official east Pacific hurricane database, is 1949. Since then, ten storms have occurred[2][3] between December 1 and May 14, or December 1 and June 1, the official bounds of hurricane season in the eastern and central north Pacific, respectively.[1] The off-season represents about 1% of the storm recorded in the Pacific.[2] In addition, the Central Pacific Hurricane Center reports seven off-season storms during the period 1900–1952[4] with another off-season tropical cyclone occurring in 1823.[5] There have been documents published in the Monthly Weather Review reporting additional off-season storms within 2,000 mi (3,200 km) off the Mexican coastline, including one in December.[6][7]

Chronology

Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Scale
TD TS C1 C2 C3 C4 C5

The wind speeds listed are maximum one-minute average sustained winds, and the pressure is the minimum barometric pressure; tropical cyclones listed with N/A under pressure indicates there is no known estimated pressure. The category refers to the intensity on the Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Scale; TS stands for tropical storm, TD for tropical depression, and SS for subtropical cyclone.

Before 1949

Storm Season Duration Max. Winds Source
Unnamed 1832 December 1832 Unknown [5]
"Froc Cyclone" 1902 December 23, 1902 – January 2, 1903 Unknown [4]
"Zikawei Cyclone" 1904 November 26 – December 4 Unknown [4]
"Hurd Cyclone" 1904 December 23 – 30 Unknown [4]
"Gauthier Cyclone" 1906 May 3 – 10 Unknown [4]
Unnamed 1922 February Unknown [4]
Unnamed 1925 December 22 – 26 Unknown [4]
Unnamed 1936 December 4 Unknown [4]

After 1949

Storm Season Duration Max. Winds Notes
Nina 1957 November 29 – December 6 85 mph (140 km/h) Caused $100,000 in damage and four fatalities in Hawaii [8]
Carmen 1980 April 4 – 8 50 mph (80 km/h) [9]
Winnie 1983 December 4 – 7 90 mph (140 km/h) Strongest East Pacific tropical cyclone in the month of December [2]
Winona 1989 January 9 - 15 45 mph (72 km/h) [3]
Alma 1990 May 12 – 20 85 mph (140 km/h) [10]
Ekeka 1992 January 28 – February 3 115 mph (185 km/h) Strongest off-season East Pacific tropical cyclone [2][11]
Hali 1992 March 28 – 30 50 mph (80 km/h) [11]
#1 1996 May 13 – 16 50 mph (80 km/h) Presumably caused two deaths after the ship Solar Wind was lost [12]
Paka 1997 December 2 – 6 65 mph (105 km/h) [13]
Omeka 2010 December 20 – 21 50 mph (80 km/h) Record latest formation of a tropical cyclone in the Eastern Pacific basin [2]

Impact and records

A handful of these off-season cyclones have had impact on land or on people. Hurricane Nina in 1957 prompted evacuations and caused $100,000 (1957 USD) in damage.[14] The storm also killed four people and produced 35 feet (11 m) waves.[15] Hurricane Winnie in 1983 caused minor rainfall in parts of Mexico.[16] The unnamed tropical storm of 1996 killed two people when it sank a trimaran called the Solar Wind.[12] After becoming a typhoon, Paka caused significant damage in the Marshall Islands, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands. Overall, Paka caused $580 million (1997 USD) in damage; enough to warrant retirement of the name "Paka".[17] None of these impacting systems made landfall.[2]

In the official East Pacific hurricane database, which dates back to 1949, the first storm to occur outside of the current season was Hurricane Nina in 1957. In the database, nine tropical cyclones have existed between December and May, most recently Tropical Storm Omeka in 2010.[2] Tropical Storm Winona in 1989 was not listed in the database,[2] despite forming south of Hawaii in January 1989.[3] In addition, there were at least eight tropical cyclones before the start of the official database, all of which existed near Hawaii.[4]

Storms were most likely to occur in December, followed by May. Only one cyclone was reported in the two months of March and April.[2] Of all cyclones during the off-season, the "Froc Cyclone" lasted longest;[4] though reliable records indicate that Hurricane Alma in 1990 had the longest duration.[2] Additionally, the "Froc Cyclone" may have spanned two calendar years.[4]

Of the off-season storms that affected land, Hawaii was the most impacted region. However, no off-season tropical cyclones in the East Pacific have made landfall.[2][4]

The year with the most off-season storms was tied between 1904 and 1992, with a total of two tropical cyclones forming in the off-season. No Pacific hurricane season had both a pre-season and post-season storm.[2][4]

Monthly statistics

Month of formation Number of recorded storms
January 2
February 1
March 1
April 1
May 3
December 10
Total 18
Source Central Pacific Hurricane Center and Hurricane Research Division[4][5][2][3]


See also

References

  1. ^ a b Dorst, Neal. "Subject: G1) When is hurricane season?". FAQ: Hurricanes, Typhoons, and Tropical Cyclones. National Hurricane Center. http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/tcfaq/G1.html. Retrieved 2010-12-20. 
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Eastern Pacific hurricane best track analysis 1949-2010". National Hurricane Center. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. March 2011. http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/hurdat/tracks1949to2010_epa.html. Retrieved 2010-03-22. 
  3. ^ a b c d "1989 WINONA (1989010N16212)". International Best Track Archive for Climate Stewardship. 2011-07-19. http://storm5.atms.unca.edu/browse-ibtracs/browseIbtracs.php?name=v03r02-1989010N16212. Retrieved 2011-11-26. 
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Hablutzel, Benjamin C.; Rosendal, Hans E.; Weyman, James C.; Hoag, Jonathan D.. "Central Pacific Tropical Cyclones: 1900–52". Central Pacific Hurricane Center. http://www.prh.noaa.gov/cphc/summaries/1900-52.php. Retrieved 2010-12-20. 
  5. ^ a b c Hablutzel, Benjamin C.; Rosendal, Hans E.; Weyman, James C.; Hoag, Jonathan D.. "Central Pacific Tropical Cyclones: 1800s". Central Pacific Hurricane Center. http://www.prh.noaa.gov/cphc/summaries/1800s.php. Retrieved 2010-12-20. 
  6. ^ Tingley, F. G. (February 1922). "North Pacific Ocean" (PDF). Monthly Weather Review 50: 99. http://docs.lib.noaa.gov/rescue/mwr/050/mwr-050-02-0098.pdf. Retrieved 2010-12-20. 
  7. ^ Hurd, Willis Edwin (4-21-1929). "Eastern North Pacific tropcial cyclones" (PDF). Monthly Weather Review 57. http://docs.lib.noaa.gov/rescue/mwr/057/mwr-057-02-0043.pdf. Retrieved 12-21-2010. 
  8. ^ "The 1957 Central Pacific Tropical Cyclone Season". Central Pacific Hurricane Center. http://www.prh.noaa.gov/cphc/summaries/1957.php. Retrieved 2011-10-18. 
  9. ^ "The 1980 Central Pacific Tropical Cyclone Season". Central Pacific Hurricane Center. http://www.prh.noaa.gov/cphc/summaries/1980.php. Retrieved 2011-10-18. 
  10. ^ Case, Robert (1990). "Hurricane Alma Preliminary Report". National Hurricane Center. http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/storm_wallets/epacific/ep1990/alma/prenhc/prelim02.gif. Retrieved 2011-1018. 
  11. ^ a b "The 1992 Central Pacific Tropical Cyclone Season". Central Pacific Hurricane Center. http://www.prh.noaa.gov/cphc/summaries/1992.php. Retrieved 2011-10-18. 
  12. ^ a b Rappaport, Edward N. (November 7, 1996). "Preliminary Report Unnamed Tropical Storm (formerly Tropical Depression One-E)". National Hurricane Center. http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/1996unnamed.html. Retrieved 2010-12-21. 
  13. ^ Hablutzel, Benjamin; Rosendal, Hans; Weyman, James; Hoag, Jonathan. "The 1997 Central Pacific Tropical Cyclone Season". Central Pacific Hurricane Center. http://www.prh.noaa.gov/cphc/summaries/1997.php. Retrieved 2011-10-18. 
  14. ^ Central Pacific Hurricane Center (2007). "1957 Central Pacific Hurricane Season Summary". http://www.prh.noaa.gov/cphc/summaries/1957.php. Retrieved 2007-03-08. 
  15. ^ Associated Press (1957). "Ship At Mercy of Hurricane Calls For Help". San Mateo Times. http://www.thehurricanearchive.com/Viewer.aspx?img=48435143&firstvisit=true&currentResult=9&currentPage=0. Retrieved 2007-03-09. 
  16. ^ Roth, David M.. "Hurricane Winnie – December 4–8, 1983". Hydrometeorological Prediction Center. http://www.hpc.ncep.noaa.gov/tropical/rain/winnie1983.html. Retrieved 2010-12-21. 
  17. ^ Padgett Gary; Beven, Jack; Free, James; Delgado Sandy (May 19, 2011). "Subject: B3) What storm names have been retired?". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/tcfaq/B3.html. Retrieved 2011-10-17. 

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