NOAA predicts 'above-normal' hurricane season for 2017
BATON ROUGE – The Atlantic Ocean could see “another above normal hurricane season” this year, according to forecasters at NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center.
Forecasters predict a 45 percent chance of an above normal season, a 35 percent chance of a near normal season and only a 20 percent chance of a below-normal season.
NOAA is also predicting a 70 percent likelihood of 11 to 17 named storms, with five to nine becoming hurricanes. Forecasters also expect two to four major hurricanes.
“An average season produces 12 named storms of which six become hurricanes, including three major hurricanes,” NOAA says.
The numbers also include Tropical Storm Arlene, a rare pre-season storm that formed over the eastern Atlantic in April.