See why the 2025 hurricane season is off to a slow start — how long will it stay quiet?
The 2025 season is still expected to have 13 to 19 named storms, and six to 10 of those will become hurricanes, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The agency's website underscores the importance of being prepared regardless of the hurricane season forecast.
When do hurricanes typically form?
The official Atlantic hurricane season starts June 1 and ends Nov. 30, according to the NOAA. The agency's website shows that 97% of tropical cyclone activity occurs during this time, and August, September and October see the majority of storms that result in major damage in the United States.
More: National Hurricane Center watching another potential storm off Southeast coast
Unable to view our graphics? Click here to see them.
Since 1851, only 7% of tropical storms in the Atlantic have come in July. According to the NOAA's Hurricane Research Division, that is insignificant compared with the percentage of named storms that have formed through the busiest hurricane season months of August (22%), September (35%) and October (21%). In other words, on average, one named storm forms in July on an annual basis, according to The Weather Channel.
How many storms reach land each year?
Over the past 30 years, from 1991 to 2020, an average of 14 storms each year developed, with three reaching at least Category 3 wind intensity and seven turning into hurricanes. According to NOAA statistics, one to two of those hurricanes typically reach land in the United States, according to the Weather Channel. The number of storms that make landfall varies considerably each year, according to the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions.
Here's a look at storms that have made landfall since 2020:
It's important to remember that hurricane activity can fluctuate year to year, and even a slightly above-average season can lead to significant effects on coastal regions, according to Colorado State University experts on seasonal hurricane forecasts.
On average, the first Atlantic named storm forms on June 20, said Phil Klotzbach, a senior research scientist in the atmospheric science department at Colorado State University. Klotzbach is among the seasonal hurricane outlook experts who predicted a busier-than-average season.
Tropical Storm Andrea, the first named storm of the season, formed in the Central Atlantic on June 20 but lasted only 12 hours. Historically, July is a quieter month for hurricanes because it's fairly early in the season, but that's not always the case: 2024's Category 5 Hurricane Beryl showed us that there can be significant impact from July storms.
What's causing the lull in named storms?
These conditions are the main causes of a slow start for the Atlantic hurricane season, according to Accuweather:
Scientists from Colorado State University recently released an updated forecast for the Atlantic hurricane season on July 9, and there is a morsel of good news: "We have decreased our forecast slightly," meteorologist Phil Klotzbach said.
Instead of nine hurricanes forming in the Atlantic basin in 2025, the new forecast calls for eight. An average season sees seven.
More: Storm Tracker: National Hurricane Center watching disturbance in Atlantic
SOURCES National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Climate Prediction Center, The Weather Channel, Accuweather and USA TODAY research
CONTRIBUTING Gabe Hauari, Dinah Voyles Pulver and Doyle Rice/USA TODAY
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