Monthly Archive

The 2015 eastern Pacific tropical storm season was one of the most active seasons on record, with 18 named storms and 13 hurricanes, nine of which reached “major” hurricane status (category 3 or greater). We also saw the strongest hurricane on record, Patricia, in the eastern Pacific in late October, and the latest-forming major hurricane on record, Sandra, in late November (see NOAA’s National Hurricane Center for more details). This meets or exceeds the high end of the NOAA-Climate Prediction Center (CPC) seasonal forecast (from May 27), which predicted 15 to 22 named storms, seven to 12 hurricanes, and five to eight major hurricanes. The eastern Pacific hurricane forecast was tied to the ongoing El Niño forecast discussion, as conditions linked to El Niño (e.g., decreased wind shear in the tropical Pacific) also favored increased hurricane frequency and intensity in the Pacific region. (read more)

In this Issue:

• Southwest Climate Summary
• Maps & Images
• El Niño Tracker - Dec 2015
• 2015 E Pacific Tropical Storm Recap
• Arizona & New Mexico Reservoir Volumes
• El Niño and Vector Borne Disease
• El Niño and Media Coverage in the Southwest

Image Source - Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service

Image Source - NOAA - National Centers for Environmental Information