"May" Tropical Storms (1851-2013):

[ncforecaster89]

Hey everyone,

This particular thread is from a revised and updated blog entry that I have written on WU.  In it, we will continue our examination of the entire historical record (1851-present), with a focus on "May" Tropical Cyclone (TC) activity throughout the Atlantic Basin. A "May" TC will be characterized as one that initially developed at some point during the month of May (i.e. May 1-May 31). Those TCs (shown by year) that achieved hurricane (H) and/or "major" hurricane (MH) intensity, will be designated by bold case print, in the following respective sections.

ALL TROPICAL STORMS:

Note: These totals include Subtropical Storms (STS), as well.

2 = 1887 and 2012.

1 = 1865, 1889, 1890, 1908, 1916, 1932, 1933, 1935, 1940, 1948, 1951 (MH), 1953, 1959, 1970, 1972 (STS), 1976 (STS), 1981, 2007 (STS), and 2008.

In addition: Storm #1 of 2008 (TS Arthur) maintained TS intensity into the month of June.



This is a visible satellite image, courtesy of NASA, of TS Beryl at 2 pm EDT on May 27, 2012. At the time, it was nearing its peak intensity of 70 mph, while located less than 100 nm off the U.S. coastline of NE Fl. "Beryl" would subsequently move ashore near Jacksonville Beach, Fl. at 1210 am EDT on May 28, 2012, with a MSW of 65 mph. In doing so, Beryl tied the May 1908 storm as the most intense TC, in terms of MSW, ever known to impact the U.S. coastline during the month of May.

ALL U.S. TROPICAL STORM LANDFALLS/STRIKES:

1 = 1908, 1916, 1951, 1959, 1972 (STS), 1976 (STS), 2007 (STS), and 2012.

ALL U.S. HURRICANE LANDFALLS:

1 = 1908

Note: Although the eye of the 1908 H crossed the U.S. coastline as a 75 mph category one storm, there were no reports of hurricane force winds observed on land.

ALL U.S. MAJOR HURRICANE LANDFALLS:

NONE

INTERESTING FACTS:

1) All Atlantic Basin Tropical Storms:

a) Total number of Atlantic basin tropical storms: There were 23 "May" TS or STS systems that developed in the Atlantic Basin during the 163 year period of 1851-2013. This equates to one May TS or STS every 7.09 years, on average.
 

b Total number of Atlantic basin hurricanes: There were a total of 4 TCs that achieved hurricane intensity during the month of May. This equates to one May H every 40.75 years, on average.

c) Total number of Atlantic basin "major" hurricanes: There has only been one documented May TC to achieve "major" hurricane (MH) intensity during the month of May.

d) The most intense May hurricane: Hurricane Able of 1951 holds the record as the most intense May hurricane for anywhere in the Atlantic Basin. It became a category three storm (major hurricane intensity) during the early morning hours of May 20, 1951, as it passed offshore of the NC coastline. At the time, it contained a Maximum sustained wind (MSW) of 115 mph. It had previously impacted the extreme NW Bahama Islands as an 85-90 mph category one hurricane on the 18th.

e) The most recent May tropical storm: TS Beryl of 2012 is the most recent "May" TC (of at least TS intensity) to develop anywhere within the Atlantic basin. It became a STS, with a MSW of 45 mph, around 11 PM EDT on May 25, 2012. During the subsequent 24 hours, Beryl drifted very slowly to the west, and then SW, as it drew ever closer to the coastline of NE Fl. By 11 am EDT on May 27, Beryl had intensified into a 60 mph STS, turned back to a due westerly direction, and increased its forward speed to 10 mph. Less than three hours thereafter, Recon found that Beryl had transitioned into a fully "tropical" storm and its winds had increased further to 65 mph. By 8 pm EDT on May 27, TS Beryl had a MSW of 70 mph and was near the threshold of minimal hurricane intensity, while positioned only 75 nm due E of Jacksonville, Fl.

Slightly cooler shelf water and dry air weakened Beryl slightly on its final approach to landfall. Nevertheless, TS Beryl made landfall at 12:10 AM EDT on May 28, 2012, near Jacksonville Beach, Fl., with a MSW of 65 mph. In doing so, TS Beryl tied the May 1908 storm as the most intense "May" TC, in terms of MSW, to impact the U.S. coastline in recorded history.

f) The most recent "May" huricane: H Alma of 1970 is the most recent TC of hurricane intensity to develop in the Atlantic basin. After developing in the SW Carribean Sea, the weak depression that would become "Alma" moved slowly Northwestward and subsequently achieved TS intensity during the late night hours of May 19, 1970. After turning to a due N and then NNE trajectory-while moving over increasingly warmer waters-Alma rapidly intensified into an 80 mph/993 mb category one H by 2 pm EDT on May 20th. A strong area of High pressure to its N caused "Alma" to abruptly turn back to a more westward heading by late on the 21st.

A significant increase in vertical wind shear caused H Alma to quickly degenerate back to tropical depression status by 2 am EDT on the 22nd. From there, it would maintain this intensity as it tracked through the NW Carribean, across eastern Cuba, and through the western Gulf of Mexico to its eventual landfall near Cedar Key, Fl. After landfall, it moved off in a general N to NNE motion through the SE coastal states before ultimately becoming absorbed by a large low pressure system-just as it was about to exit the U.S. coastline near Norfolk, Va.-very late on the 26th.

g) The most tropical storms to develop in one season: The 1887 and 2012 Atlantic Basin hurricane seasons are shown to have been the most prolific for "May" TC formations-with 2 each, respectively.

h) The most hurricanes to develop in one season: The 1889, 1908, 1951, and 1970 Atlantic basin hurricane seasons hold the record for spawning the most TC's of hurricane intensity-with one each, respectively.

i) The most "major" hurricanes to develop in one season: The 1951 hurricane season is the only one known to have spawned a MH during the entire historical record of 1851-2012.

2) All U.S. Tropical Storm Landfalls:

a) Total number of U.S. tropical storm strikes: There were a total of 8 May TS or STS systems that made a U.S. landfall (or strike) during the aforementioned 163 year period. This equates to one May TS or STS landfall (or strike) every 20.38 years, on average. Moreover, a full 34.8% of all "May" Atlantic Basin storms made landfall in the U.S.

b Total number of U.S. hurricane strikes: Storm #2 of 1908 is the only known hurricane to have made a direct strike on the U.S. coastline during the month of May. The eye of this historic storm brushed along the extreme eastern portions of the NC Outer Banks as a 75 mph/989 mb hurricane-during the early evening hours on May 29, 1908. In doing so, it is estimated that a MSW of 65 mph likely impacted that area-with hurricane-force winds staying just offshore.

c) The most recent U.S. tropical storm strike: TS Beryl of 2012 is the most recent TC of either STS or TS intensity to bring tropical storm force winds to the U.S. shoreline-constituting a TS strike. As noted above in section 1e, TS Beryl made landfall at 12:10 AM EDT on May 28, 2012, near Jacksonville Beach, Fl., with a MSW of 65 mph. In doing so, TS Beryl tied the May 1908 storm as the most intense "May" TC, in terms of MSW, to impact the U.S. coastline in recorded history.

FUTURE BLOG ENTRIES THREADS:

I will post additional blog entries  threads (similar to this one) for the other respective months of a calendar year. With that in mind, the next entry should be a thorough examination of the entire climatological record for "June" TCs in the Atlantic Basin.

As always, thank you so much for taking the time to read and/or post in my blogs threads. I hope each one of you have a great rest of the day!

Most sincerely,
Tony

[ncforecaster89]

All known "MAY" U.S. TS Strikes (1851-2013):

1) 1-5/14/1916 0600Z 25.1 81.0 35 FL

2) Storm #1 1951 May 17 40 Kt (MH Able-offshore, SE Fl.)
3) Storm #1 1959 May 30 40 kt. (La.) Arlene
4) Storm #1 1972 May 27 45 Kt. (Ga.) STS Alpha
5) Storm #1 1976 May 23 35-40 Kt. (NW Fl., NE Fl., Ga.) STS

6) 1-5/10/2007* 1200Z 30.1 79.9 35 GA Andrea
7) 2 5/28/2012 0410Z 30.2 81.4 55 FL Beryl

[ncforecaster89]

ALL MAY U.S. HURRICANE STRIKES:

2-5/29/1908& 2100Z 35.2N 75.6W 55 TS --- 989 1014 200 (None)

[ncforecaster89]

Various "Pre-Season" Tropical Storm Stats and Facts (1851-2013):

1) All Atlantic Basin Tropical Storms:

a) Total number of Atlantic basin tropical storms: 28

b Total number of Atlantic basin hurricanes: 6

c) Total number of Atlantic basin "major" hurricanes: 1

d) The most intense hurricane: Hurricane Able of May 1951.

e) The most recent tropical storm: TS Beryl of May 2012.

f) The most recent huricane: H Alma of May 1970.

g) The most tropical storms to develop in one season: 2 (1887, 1908, and 2012).

h) The most hurricanes to develop in one season: 2 (1908).

i) The most "major" hurricanes to develop in one season: 1 (1951).

2) All U.S. Tropical Storm Landfalls/Strikes:

a) Total number of U.S. tropical storm strikes: 9

b Total number of U.S. hurricane strikes: 1 (May 1908).

c) The most recent U.S. tropical storm strike: TS Beryl of May 2012.

[ncforecaster89]

All known "Pre-season" Hurricanes (Max Intensity):

1) January 5 1938 0 UTC 23.8N 40.8W 250 deg 17 mph 27 kph 80 mph 130 kph -- mb (category 1)

2) March 8 1908 0 UTC 18.0N 62.5W 200 deg 9 mph 14 kph 100 mph 160 kph -- mb (category 2)

3) January 3 1955 6 UTC 17.3N 63.6W 230 deg 4 mph 7 kph 80 mph 130 kph -- mb (Alice 1954/category 1)

4) May 21 1889 0 UTC 33.7N 73.1W 45 deg 13 mph 22 kph 80 mph 130 kph -- mb (category 1)

5) May 29 1908 18 UTC 34.8N 75.8W 35 deg 10 mph 16 kph 75 mph 120 kph 989 mb (category 1)

6) May 21 1951 12 UTC 35.5N 74.2W 20 deg 12 mph 20 kph 115 mph 185 kph -- mb (Able/category 3)

7) May 20 1970 18 UTC 17.2N 81.6W 35 deg 4 mph 7 kph 80 mph 130 kph 993 mb (Alma/category 1)

Totals:

Category 1 = 5
Category 2 = 1
Category 3 = 1
Category 4 = 0
Category 5 = 0

[IsentropicLift]

Where does Tropical Storm Zeta fall into all of this? Hitting max intensity on January 2, 2006.

[cjr231]

Where does Tropical Storm Zeta fall into all of this? Hitting max intensity on January 2, 2006.

 

I'm pretty sure this thread is about May tropical systems, but I could be wrong....

 

To the thread starter, great work and stats. Look forward to each month's.

[Juliancolton]

Zeta formed in 2005 so it's not a pre-season storm (and it didn't reach 65 kts, which is why it didn't make it into the OP's pre-season hurricanes list).

[Roger Smith]

_{Would be interesting if you added April, only one or two cases I believe.}

[ncforecaster89]

I'm pretty sure this thread is about May tropical systems, but I could be wrong....

To the thread starter, great work and stats. Look forward to each month's.

Thanks for the kind words and taking the time to post!

[ncforecaster89]

_{Would be interesting if you added April, only one or two cases I believe.}

Hi Roger! Thanks for taking the time to post.

I have written and posted blog entries on WU (similar to this one) for each respective month of the hurricane season, as well as one for December, and another focused on the January through April period.

As you correctly stated, there have only been a total of two known TCs (of at least TS intensity) that developed during the month of April (1992 and 2003). When time allows, I will post a copy of that blog entry in this thread.

[ncforecaster89]

I would be remiss if I didn't take a moment to thank all who have taken time to read and/or post in this thread!