Climate of 2008

East Pacific Hurricane Season

Averages:

The 2008 East Pacific basin hurricane season was near the 1950-2000 average with 18 named storms, of which seven were hurricanes, including two major hurricanes. The ACE index of hurricane activity indicated an below-average season, with a preliminary value of approximately 83 x10⁴ knots². In terms of accumulated cyclone energy (based on integrated wind power of all tropical cyclones during the season, both landfalling and those remaining out at sea), 2008 was below normal.

2008 Season Summary:

Eighteen named storms formed in the East Pacific Hurricane Basin during 2008, which is near the 50-year average. Seven of these storms were classified as hurricanes and two of these were major hurricanes (Category 3-5 on the Saffir-Simpson Scale). The most notable storm of the season was Norbert, which became a Category 4 hurricane on October 8. Norbert made landfall on the western side of the Baja Peninsula on the next day as a category 2. The storm then made another landfall in Mexico as a category 1, killing 8 people.

Another notable storm in the East Pacific was Tropical Storm Alma. Alma made landfall on the northwestern coast of Nicaragua near León killing nine people. Damage from Alma is estimated at $33 million.

Tropical Storm Polo formed from an area of low pressure approximately 1000 miles south of the tip of Baja, California on November 2. Later that same day, the system had developed enough for the National Hurricane Center to designate it a tropical storm. It remained a tropical storm until November 4 when it was downgraded to a depression. Its maximum wind speed was measured at 65 km/h (40 mph) and the lowest pressure was measured at 1005 millibars. More information on Tropical Storm Polo is available from the NOAA National Hurricane Center.

On October 8, the seventeenth tropical depression of the 2008 Eastern Pacific season formed from a low pressure near Nicaragua. As the storm moved to the northwest, it strengthened into Tropical Storm Odile. Over the course of the next several days the storm strengthened and tropical storm watches were issued in Mexico. Odile never made landfall, but it did come within 50 miles of the coast. Its peak winds were measured at 100 km/h (65 mph) and its lowest pressure was measured to be 996 mb. More information on Tropical Storm Odile is available from the NOAA National Hurricane Center.

On October 3, a broad area of low pressure developed into Tropical Depression Fifteen-E. The next day, as the vertical wind shear weakened and the storm moved over relatively warm water, it developed into Tropical Storm Norbert. Norbert's cloud pattern continually increased in organization during the following days and by the 6th, the storm had developed into a hurricane. As the storm traveled to the west-northwest it encountered favorable upper-level winds and warm ocean temperatures which helped Norbert increase in intensity while becoming a major hurricane. In fact, Norbert became the 2nd major eastern Pacific hurricane on October 8, with winds of 185 km/h (115 mph). Later that afternoon, Norbert's winds were measured at 213 km/h (132 mph), enough to reach category 4 status. By October 11, Hurricane Norbert had weakened into a Category 2 storm as it made landfall first in Baja, California, then again in the Mexican state of Sonora. Winds at the time of its second landfall were measured to be 155 km/h (96 mph). Its maximum winds were measured to be 220 km/h (140 mph) and its lowest measured pressure was at 945 mb. Norbert was the first October hurricane to strike the western Baja California peninsula since Hurricane Pauline of 1968. More information on Hurricane Norbert is available from the NOAA National Hurricane Center.

On October 1, Marie developed from a low pressure area off the south-west coast of Baja, California. Later that same day, it developed into a tropical storm, but it took an additional two days for Marie to be declared a hurricane. This was the first eastern Pacific storm to develop into a hurricane since Hernan, two months earlier. Hurricane Marie had a small, but well defined eye that was 12 nautical miles wide at one point in time, but by the evening of the 3rd, the eye started to become poorly defined. The storm continued to weaken as it moved over the cooler waters of the Eastern Pacific. By the evening of October 4, Marie had been downgraded to a tropical storm and on October 6, the National Hurricane Center issued its last advisory. Hurricane Marie had a top wind speed of 130 km/h (80 mph) and its lowest measured pressure was 984 mb. More information on Hurricane Marie is available from the NOAA National Hurricane Center.

Tropical Storm Lowell developed from a large system of thunderstorms southwest of Manzanillo, Mexico on September 6. The storm impacted the southern tip of Baja, California as it moved to the northeast. By September 10, the storm had weakened to a tropical depression and dissipated on September 11. Although the storm did not result in any deaths, it did produce copious amounts of rainfall in the central northern U.S., causing significant flooding and minor damage. The lowest observed pressure was 996 mb and the highest wind speed was 97 km/hr (52 knots or 60 mph). More information on Tropical Storm Lowell is available from the NOAA National Hurricane Center.

Tropical Storm Karina was a short-lived Pacific storm that organized on September 2. It traveled to the northwest, but due to persistent easterly shear the storm could not remain organized. The National Hurricane Center issued the last advisory on Karina on September 3. Its lowest pressure was measured to be 1000 mb and its highest winds were 65 km/hr (35 knots or 40 mph). More information on Tropical Storm Karina is available from the NOAA National Hurricane Center.

Julio developed from a tropical wave off the coast of Mexico on August 23 and moved northwestward parallel to the coast. Its peak winds reached 85 km/h (50 mph or 43 knots) and its maximum central pressure reached 998 mbar (29.47 inches). On August 24, Julio made landfall in the southern tip of Baja California and quickly weakened, but not before producing heavy rainfall which resulted in locally heavy flooding thus killing two people. More information on Tropical Storm Julio is available from the NOAA National Hurricane Center.

Tropical Storm Iselle developed from a disturbance southwest of Mexico on August 13. As the storm moved to the west-northwest its maximum winds reached 65 km/h (40 mph or 35 knots) and its maximum central pressure reached 999 mbar (29.50 inches). Upper-level conditions were not favorable for development and dissipated on August 16. More information on Tropical Storm Iselle is available from the NOAA National Hurricane Center.

Tropical Storm Kika formed from a disturbance southeast of Hawaii on August 6. Kika moved westward and its peak winds reached 65 km/h (40 mph or 35 knots). On August 8, Kika was downgraded to a tropical depression, but it reintensified to a tropical storm the next day. Maximum central pressure reached 1007 mbar (29.74 inches). The storm was downgraded to a remnant low on August 12, More information on Hurricane Kika is available from the NOAA National Hurricane Center.

Hernan formed from a low pressure area southwest of Mexico on August 6 and quickly strengthened into a tropical storm. Hurricane Hernan became the first major hurricane of 2008 in the Pacific Ocean on August 9 when its max winds reached 194 km/h (121 mph or 105 knots). After reaching a maximum central pressure of 956 mbar (28.23 inches), Hernan dissapated over the open waters and the National Hurricane Center issued the final advisory for Hernan on August 12. More information on Hurricane Hernan is available from the NOAA National Hurricane Center.

Genevieve began as a tropical wave near Nicaragua on July 17 and moved westward over the following several days. The disturbance evolved into a tropical depression on July 21 250 miles southwest of Acapulco and intensified into a tropical storm later that day. Genevieve became a hurricane on July 25 far offshore of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, then weakened the next day. The storm weakened into a depression early on July 27 and dissipated later that day. The strongest winds in Hurricane Genevieve were 121 km/hr (65 knots or 75 mph) and its lowest pressure was 987 mb. More information on Tropical Storm Genevieve is available from the NOAA National Hurricane Center.

Fausto developed as a westward-moving tropical wave off the coast of Africa in early July and developed into a tropical depression on July 16 about 560 miles southeast of Acapulco. The system reached tropical storm status later that day and strengthened into a hurricane on July 18. Hurricane Fausto moved northwestward, then west-northwestward where it encountered cool waters which weakened the storm. Fausto rapidly weakened into a remnant low by July 22 and dissipated two days later about 1200 miles west of the southern tip of Baja California. The strongest winds in Hurricane Fausto were 161 km/hr (87 knots or 100 mph) and its lowest pressure was 975 mb. More information on Hurricane Fausto is available from the NOAA National Hurricane Center.

Elida began on July 11 as a tropical depression located about 400 miles southeast of Acapulco and strengthened into a tropical storm later the same day. The storm moved west-northwestward for several days and strengthened into a hurricane on July 14. Hurricane Elida strengthened and reached its peak on July 16 before moving over cooler waters. The cool waters weakened the storm's intensity and it was downgraded to a tropical storm on July 18, and a depression the next day. This category 2 storm was ocean-bound and did not affect land. The strongest winds in Hurricane Elida were 169 km/hr (91 knots or 105 mph) and its lowest pressure was 970 mb. More information on Hurricane Elida is available from the NOAA National Hurricane Center.

Douglas was a short-lived tropical cyclone that formed on July 1 about 280 miles southwest of Manzanillo, Mexico. The storm moved northwestward, paralleling the Mexican coast for several days. Douglas weakened to a remnant low on July 3 after bringing heavy rains to parts of southwest coastal Mexico. The strongest winds in Tropical Storm Douglas were 65 km/hr (35 knots or 40 mph) and its lowest pressure was 1003 mb. More information on Tropical Storm Douglas is available from the NOAA National Hurricane Center.

An area of low pressure in the eastern Pacific developed into Tropical Depression Three-E on June 27. This depression strengthened into Tropical Storm Cristina on June 28 and remained relatively weak as it tracked westward. Christina weakened to a tropical depression on June 30 and dissipated on July 1. The strongest winds in Tropical Storm Cristina were 85 km/hr (43 knots or 50 mph) and its lowest pressure was 1000 mb. More information on Tropical Storm Cristina is available from the NOAA National Hurricane Center.

On June 27, a tropical depression formed over the warm waters south of Mexico's Baja Peninsula. Two days later, the depression strengthened into tropical storm Boris. This storm intensified to hurricane strength for a brief period on July 1, making Boris the first hurricane of the 2008 season in the eastern Pacific. The storm weakened as it moved over cooler waters and was downgraded to a tropical storm late on July 2. The system dissipated on July 4. The maximum sustained winds of Hurricane Boris were near 120 km/hr (65 knots or 75 mph) and the minimum pressure was 989 mb. More information may be found on NCDC's 2008 Northeast Pacific Tropical Cyclone statistics page, or at the NOAA National Hurricane Center.

The eastern North Pacific hurricane season officially begins on May 15th, generally peaks in late August/early September and concludes around the end of November. Tropical cyclone activity during May 2008 was above average with one named storm, Alma. Since official records began in 1949, four tropical storms have developed in May in 1984, 1956, and two in 2007. The long-term mean indicates that a named storm typically forms about every other May. However, this is the 9th consecutive May that a tropical cyclone has developed in the East Pacific Basin.

Alma developed as a tropical wave south of Central America in late May and strengthened into a tropical depression on May 28. The depression strengthened into a strong tropical storm the next day, making landfall on the northwestern coast of Nicaragua near León. Nine people were killed in León, where electricity was lost, trees toppled, and several homes were damaged. The remnants of Alma moved across Central America and later emerged in the Gulf of Honduras where it reorganized into Atlantic Tropical Storm Arthur. Alma's peak winds of 105 km/hr (56 knots or 65 mph) occurred on the morning of May 29. More information may be found on NCDC's 2008 Northeast Pacific Tropical Cyclone statistics page or at the NOAA National Hurricane Center.

• Saffir-Simpson Scale
• NOAA's National Hurricane Center
• University of Hawaii Tropical Storms page
• Wikipedia Article on the 2008 East Pacific Storm Season (Please note, Wikipedia is not considered an official source of information)