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Track The Tropics has been the #1 source to track the tropics 24/7 since 2013! The main goal of the site is to bring all of the important links and graphics to ONE PLACE so you can keep up to date on any threats to land during the Atlantic Hurricane Season! Hurricane Season 2024 in the Atlantic starts on June 1st and ends on November 30th. Do you love Spaghetti Models? Well you've come to the right place!! Remember when you're preparing for a storm: Run from the water; hide from the wind!

Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale
Category Wind Speed Storm Surge
  mph ft
5 ≥157 >18
4 130–156 13–18
3 111–129 9–12
2 96–110 6–8
1 74–95 4–5
Additional Classifications
Tropical Storm 39–73 0–3
Tropical Depression 0–38 0
The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale is a classification used for most Western Hemisphere tropical cyclones that exceed the intensities of "tropical depressions" and "tropical storms", and thereby become hurricanes. Source: Intellicast

Hurricane Season 101

The official Atlantic Basin Hurricane Season runs from June 1st to November 30th.

A tropical cyclone is a warm-core, low pressure system without any “front” attached. It develops over tropical or subtropical waters, and has an organized circulation. Depending upon location, tropical cyclones have different names around the world. The Tropical Cyclones we track in the Atlantic basin are called Tropical Depressions, Tropical Storms and Hurricanes!

Atlantic Basin Tropical Cyclones are classified as follows:

Tropical Depression: Organized system of clouds and thunderstorms with defined surface circulation and max sustained winds of 38 mph or less.

Tropical Storm: Organized system of strong thunderstorms with a defined surface circulation and maximum sustained winds of 39-73 mph.

Hurricane: Intense tropical weather system of strong thunderstorms with a well-defined surface circulation. A Hurricane has max sustained winds of 74 mph or higher!

The difference between Tropical Storm and Hurricane Watches, Warnings, Advisories and Outlooks

Warnings:Listen closely to instructions from local officials on TV, radio, cell phones or other computers for instructions from local officials.Evacuate immediately if told to do so.

  • Storm Surge Warning: There is a danger of life-threatening inundation from rising water moving inland from the shoreline somewhere within the specified area. This is generally within 36 hours. If you are under a storm surge warning, check for evacuation orders from your local officials.
  • Hurricane Warning: Hurricane conditions (sustained winds of 74 mph or greater) are expected somewhere within the specified area. NHC issues a hurricane warning 36 hours in advance of tropical storm-force winds to give you time to complete your preparations. All preparations should be complete. Evacuate immediately if so ordered.
  • Tropical Storm Warning: Tropical storm conditions (sustained winds of 39 to 73 mph) are expected within your area within 36 hours.
  • Extreme Wind Warning: Extreme sustained winds of a major hurricane (115 mph or greater), usually associated with the eyewall, are expected to begin within an hour. Take immediate shelter in the interior portion of a well-built structure.

Please note that hurricane and tropical storm watches and warnings for winds on land as well as storm surge watches and warnings can be issued for storms that the NWS believes will become tropical cyclones but have not yet attained all of the characteristics of a tropical cyclone (i.e., a closed low-level circulation, sustained thunderstorm activity, etc.). In these cases, the forecast conditions on land warrant alerting the public. These storms are referred to as “potential tropical cyclones” by the NWS.
Hurricane, tropical storm, and storm surge watches and warnings can also be issued for storms that have lost some or all of their tropical cyclone characteristics, but continue to produce dangerous conditions. These storms are called “post-tropical cyclones” by the NWS.

Watches: Listen closely to instructions from local officials on TV, radio, cell phones or other computers for instructions from local officials. Evacuate if told to do so.

  • Storm Surge Watch: Storm here is a possibility of life-threatening inundation from rising water moving inland from the shoreline somewhere within the specified area, generally within 48 hours. If you are under a storm surge watch, check for evacuation orders from your local officials.
  • Hurricane Watch: Huriricane conditions (sustained winds of 74 mph or greater) are possible within your area. Because it may not be safe to prepare for a hurricane once winds reach tropical storm force, The NHC issues hurricane watches 48 hours before it anticipates tropical storm-force winds.
  • Tropical Storm Watch: Tropical storm conditions (sustained winds of 39 to 73 mph) are possible within the specified area within 48 hours.

Advisories:

  • Tropical Cyclone Public Advisory:The Tropical Cyclone Public Advisory contains a list of all current coastal watches and warnings associated with an ongoing or potential tropical cyclone, a post-tropical cyclone, or a subtropical cyclone. It also provides the cyclone position, maximum sustained winds, current motion, and a description of the hazards associated with the storm.
  • Tropical Cyclone Track Forecast Cone:This graphic shows areas under tropical storm and hurricane watches and warnings, the current position of the center of the storm, and its predicted track. Forecast uncertainty is conveyed on the graphic by a “cone” (white and stippled areas) drawn such that the center of the storm will remain within the cone about 60 to 70 percent of the time. Remember, the effects of a tropical cyclone can span hundreds of miles. Areas well outside of the cone often experience hazards such as tornadoes or inland flooding from heavy rain.

Outlooks:

  • Tropical Weather Outlook:The Tropical Weather Outlook is a discussion of significant areas of disturbed weather and their potential for development during the next 5 days. The Outlook includes a categorical forecast of the probability of tropical cyclone formation during the first 48 hours and during the entire 5-day forecast period. You can also find graphical versions of the 2-day and 5-day Outlook here

Be sure to read up on tons of more information on Hurricane knowledge, preparedness, statistics and history under the menu on the left hand side of the page!

TrackTheTropics Resource Links

Thank you to all of these websites for information and graphics we use on this website. Please be sure to visit these sites for tons of more tools on tracking the Tropics!
National Hurricane Center / Tropical Tidbits / CIMSS Tropical Group / Tropical Atlantic / NASA Earth / Intellicast / NOAA WPC / UWM Hurricane Models / South Florida Hurricane Models / Accuweather / Weather.com / FSU TC Models / NOAA TC Probability / NCEP/EMC Cyclogenesis Tracking / NOAA GOES East Imagery / Unisys Hurricane Data / PSU Tropical Group / Weather Underground / NOAA NESDIS / NRL Tropical Cyclone Page / Storm Surfing / GMU WxMaps

CONUS Hurricane Strikes

1950-2017
[Map of 1950-2017 CONUS Hurricane Strikes]
Total Hurricane Strikes 1900-2010 Total Hurricane Strikes 1900-2010 Total MAJOR Hurricane Strikes 1900-2010 Total Major Hurricane Strikes 1900-2010 Western Gulf Hurricane Strikes Western Gulf Hurricane Strikes Western Gulf MAJOR Hurricane Strikes Western Gulf Major Hurricane Strikes Eastern Gulf Hurricane Strikes Eastern Gulf Hurricane Strikes Eastern Gulf MAJOR Hurricane Strikes Eastern Gulf Major Hurricane Strikes SE Coast Hurricane Strikes SE Coast Hurricane Strikes SE Coast MAJOR Hurricane Strikes SE Coast Major Hurricane Strikes NE Coast Hurricane Strikes NE Coast Hurricane Strikes NE Coast MAJOR Hurricane Strikes NE Coast Major Hurricane Strikes

Global Weather Model Run Times and UTC Conversion

WEATHER MODEL RUN TIMES
All the times are CDT and approximate.

GFS (out to 384 hours)
0z: 10:30pm
6z: 4:30am
12z: 10:30am
18z: 4:30pm

NAM (out to 84 hours)
0z: 8:35pm
6z: 2:35am
12z: 8:35am
18z: 2:35pm

CMC (out to 180 hours)
0z: 12:00am
12z : 12:00pm

UKMET (out to 72 hours)
0z: 12:30am
12z: 12:30pm

ECMWF (EURO) (out to 240 hours)
0z: 1:30am
12z: 1:30pm

NOGAPS (out to 180 hours)
*00z = 2:00 AM
*12z = 2:00 PM

DGEX (out to 192 hours)
*00z = 5:15 AM
*12z = 5:15 PM

JMA (out to 144 hours)
*00z = Between 1:00 & 3:00 AM
*12z = Between 1:00 & 3:00 PM

CONVERTING ZULU TIME TO LOCAL TIME

The NHC, Model Runs, NOAA satellites and other tools and organizations use Zulu Time or Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) as their time reference. Many weather websites and resources are stamped in Zulu time.

To make the conversion to your local time, see the chart below. Find your local time in the first column. If you are on Central Daylight Saving Time (CDT), you would use the second column to find your Zulu Time/UTC. For instance, if it's 10 a.m. Central Daylight Saving Time in Washington, D.C., it's 1500 hours in Zulu time/UTC.

Local EDT EST CDT CST MDT MST PDT PST
Midnight 0400 0500 0500 0600 0600 0700 0700 0800
1 a.m. 0500 0600 0600 0700 0700 0800 0800 0900
2 a.m. 0600 0700 0700 0800 0800 0900 0900 1000
3 a.m. 0700 0800 0800 0900 0900 1000 1000 1100
4 a.m. 0800 0900 0900 1000 1000 1100 1100 1200
5 a.m. 0900 1000 1000 1100 1100 1200 1200 1300
6 a.m. 1000 1100 1100 1200 1200 1300 1300 1400
7 a.m. 1100 1200 1200 1300 1300 1400 1400 1500
8 a.m. 1200 1300 1300 1400 1400 1500 1500 1600
9 a.m. 1300 1400 1400 1500 1500 1600 1600 1700
10 a.m. 1400 1500 1500 1600 1600 1700 1700 1800
11 a.m. 1500 1600 1600 1700 1700 1800 1800 1900
NOON 1600 1700 1700 1800 1800 1900 1900 2000
1 p.m. 1700 1800 1800 1900 1900 2000 2000 2100
2 p.m. 1800 1900 1900 2000 2000 2100 2100 2200
3 p.m. 1900 2000 2000 2100 2100 2200 2200 2300
4 p.m. 2000 2100 2100 2200 2200 2300 2300 2400
5 p.m. 2100 2200 2200 2300 2300 2400 2400 0100
6 p.m. 2200 2300 2300 2400 2400 0100 0100 0200
7 p.m. 2300 2400 2400 0100 0100 0200 0200 0300
8 p.m. 2400 0100 0100 0200 0200 0300 0300 0400
9 p.m. 0100 0200 0200 0300 0300 0400 0400 0500
10 p.m. 0200 0300 0300 0400 0400 0500 0500 0600
11 p.m. 0300 0400 0400 0500 0500 0600 0600 0700