Last year's hurricane season was one for the record books. The outlook for the upcoming hurricane season, at least according to one well-respected forecast organization might not be record-setting but don't be surprised if it's a rather active season regardless. AccuWeather released their preseason hurricane forecast for the 2021 season on Friday and if you were hoping that things would be a lot calmer compared to last year, don't get your hopes up.

The AccuWeather outlook suggests the upcoming season will have 16 to 20 named storms. Of those 16 to 20 named storms forecasters believe 7 to 10 of them will become hurricanes. Of those 7 to 10 storms, three to five are expected to reach major hurricane status.

One of the key ingredients forecasters use in prognosticating the intensity of the upcoming season is sea surface temperatures. Unfortunately, those temperatures are already above average in the tropical Atlantic basin. The energy stored in the warm water is what the massive storms use to fuel their growth.

Forecasters with Colorado State University will release their preseason hurricane forecast on Thursday. Meanwhile, forecasters with NOAA won't be releasing their preseason prognostication until May. Speculation is that these two forecast entities will arrive at a conclusion that is very similar to the one released by AccuWeather.

You may have heard that the National Hurricane Center and NOAA were contemplating moving the official start of the hurricane season up to May 15th. They will not be doing that. Instead, the forecast service will issue begin issuing Tropical Weather Outlooks on May 15th. However, the potential change in the start date for the tropical season is still being considered and that might eventually come to fruition.

In the meantime, there's not much we can do here in South Louisiana other than double-check the hurricane kit. Chances are after last year's busy season you might want to replace some of the items in there. Or at least take them out and give them a good cleaning. Hopefully, we won't need any of that stuff but if we do, you know we'll be right here with the information you need to stay ahead of the storm.

Just be safe, you might want to plan your beach vacation for earlier in the summer rather than later. And when you go, if you're looking for a really nice place to stay. Here's a place that I am sure won't be a disappointment.

Most Expensive Home for Rent in Destin This Summer

 

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