Not one hurricane strikes United States

[Richard]

It’s interesting how hurricane season turned out to be way different than what there were predicting at the beginning of the season. It makes me wonder if what’s going on in the kuiper belt has anything to do with it. :think:

By JESSICA GRESKO, Associated Press WriterThu Nov 30, 9:31 PM ET

The mild 2006 Atlantic hurricane season draws to a close Thursday without a single hurricane striking the United States — a stark contrast to the record-breaking 2005 season that killed more than 1,500 people and left thousands homeless along the Gulf Coast.

Nine named storms and five hurricanes formed this season, and just two of the hurricanes were considered major. That is considered a near-normal season — and well short of the rough season government scientists had forecast.

"We got a much-welcome break after a lot of the coast had been compromised in the last several years, but this is a one-season type break," said Gerry Bell, lead seasonal hurricane forecaster for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

In May, scientists predicted 13 to 16 named storms and eight to 10 hurricanes, with four to six of them major.

The 2005 hurricane season was the busiest on record, with 28 named storms, including 15 hurricanes, four of which hit the United States, including Katrina and Rita.

Bell urged people not to become complacent about the next season, which starts June 1. Forecasters say the Atlantic is still in an active hurricane period that began in 1995 and could last another decade or more.

This year, a warm-water trend known as El Nino developed more quickly than expected in the Pacific, squashing the formation of storms in the Atlantic and creating crosswinds that can rip hurricanes apart. At the same time, upper-level air currents pushed most hurricanes out to sea, away from the U.S. mainland.

Only two storms, Tropical Storms Alberto and Ernesto, hit the U.S. mainland in 2006. Neither caused significant damage.

The season effectively ended with Hurricane Isaac, the last named storm, which dissipated Oct. 2.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061201/ap_o...ane_season

[Astrojewels]

This is interesting Richard, the weather is the strangest I have seen in my life, it has such dramatic changes daily, we do not usually get much wind but lately have had nothing but strong winds. We have began summer down under and I am certain that in the next few weeks we will see some terrible bush fires and the summer will be extremely hot due to the dryness of our land. I am sure that you are all glad that the hurricane season did not follow the usual pattern.

[Richard]

I agree that the weather has been strange. It’s been pretty windy here this year too. Every week I have to clean up tons of branches out of my yard that wind has broken off the trees. I’m hoping that 2007 will be a less violent year.

What are the average summer temps out where you are?

[Astrojewels]

Richard,

Summer is hot all over down unda land, where I live the average temp is 35 (95) to 42 (107) and last new years day was the hottest I had ever experienced it reached 48 (118).  But where I live the air temp is dry, I personally do not like humidity as it is uncomfortable, but I do love everything about the summer.  

[Richard]

It sounds like it gets pretty hot out there. I’m not too fond of hot weather like that. I prefer temps around the 70’s, 80’s at the most. How many months of summer do you have high temps like that?

[Astrojewels]

Richard,

If you were here, you would have to spend summer in Tasmania, that is the only place that would offer the temps you prefer. When I was younger, the temperatures would remain high from the start of December to the end of March, now it has all changed. Our warm weather started about 3 weeks ago, but each day is different and can alternate up to twenty degrees each day, or it starts off cool and by the afternoon is very hot, so you just can not get used to it.  our weather is normally the hottest in January and February.

[Richard]

I checked out the Tasmania website and it looks like a cool place to be. I think I’d like to check it out some day. From what I seen it looks gorgeous there.

It sounds like you’re experiencing 2 months of blazing heat out there. That isn’t too bad. Michigan has 2 very hot months too. July and August are usually very hot and getting hotter every year. icon_hot
Right now it's snowy and cold. icon_cold


 

[Get Boldened]

Who's preparing for Christmas already?

[Richard]

DreamTime has been preparing for awhile now. How about you? icon_2santa

[DreamTime]

No I haven't. I'm not going to be doing any of my shopping until I get to Jersey - and that won't be until after the 16th of the month.