2017 Hurricane Season Brings Two Cyclones to Central Pacific

Fernanda Advisory #027. 8 a.m. PDT (5 a.m. HST) Tues Jul 18, 2017. PC: NOAA/NWS/National Hurricane Center; Greg Advisory #006. 3 p.m. MDT Tues Jul 18, 2017. PC: NOAA/NWS/National Hurricane Center; Disturbance 8E #002. 2 p.m. PDT Tues Jul 18, 2017. PC: NOAA/NWS/National Hurricane Center.

The 2017 hurricane season featured two tropical cyclones in the Central Pacific Hurricane Center area of responsibility, which is below the seasonal average.

Tropical Storm Fernanda and Tropical Depression Greg both moved into the basin from the eastern Pacific in July, and both dissipated before approaching Hawaiʻi.

Hurricane season runs from June 1st to November 30th. The Central Pacific basin extends from 140°W to the International Dateline. Four to five tropical cyclones occur during an average year.

The 2017 hurricane season outlook issued in May called for a 40% chance each of near-normal or above-normal tropical cyclone activity and a 20% chance of below-normal activity.

The 2017 season started with equatorial warming but never transitioned to an El Niño event. Instead, steady cooling commenced during the summer leading to La Niña conditions by the end of the season. La Niña conditions are typically associated with below-normal tropical cyclone activity in the Central Pacific.