The final countdown is quickly ticking away to the start of the 2026 hurricane seasons, in the Atlantic hurricane basin and in the Eastern Pacific.
On Friday, May 15, the National Hurricane Center begins issuing tropical outlooks for the Atlantic. May 15 is also the official beginning of the Eastern Pacific season.
The tropical outlooks for the Atlantic used to start on June 1, the first official day of the season, but in 2021 after several years with tropical activity in May, the center moved up the start date for the daily outlooks. The outlooks, published every six hours throughout the season, flag tropical waves or potential disturbances that the center is watching for potential development.
For millions who live in vulnerable regions around the United States, this year's tropical activity could be a good news/bad news scenario, thanks to a Pacific Ocean pattern that was a powerful influencer long before social media came along.
An El Niño is expected to form in the weeks ahead, with influences on the atmosphere that could suppress some of the hurricane activity in the Atlantic, and spawn a busier season in the Pacific. Forecasters are closely watching the model runs for the expected El Niño, which show a stark warming in the Pacific this summer.
