A weather forecasting organization is offering up five reaso
ns why the U.S. wasn’t hit by a hurricane this season, despite forec
asts that called for an above normal Atlantic hurricane season w
ith numerous anticipated landfalls.
It will be the first Atlantic hurricane season in 10 years without a
hurricane making landfall in the U.S. if the season ends witho
ut a strike. The Atl
on Nov. 30. AccuWeather puts the chance of a landfall this season
at less than 5%.
“The U.S. benefited from a combination of unique atmospheric condi
tions, the timing of cold fronts pushing across the East Coast, and a lot o
f luck, to make it through the peak of the season without a single hurr
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icane landfall,” Jonathan Porter, AccuWeather chief meteorologist, stated.
According to AccuWeather, strong dips in the jet stream over the eastern half of the nation, the presence of dr
y air and disruptive wind
shear prevented hurricanes from making landfall along the Atlantic or Gulf coast.
Related: Florida Meteorologist Predicted Mild Season This Year
The Southeast U.S. was spared from major flooding from Hu
rricane Imelda in September, thanks in part to the rare Fujiwhara Effec
t. When storms move within 850 miles of each other, they can essen
tially start to swirl around each other. The phenomenon is nam
ed after Japanese meteorologist Sakuhei Fujiwhara.
The Bermuda High, an area of high pressure that typically forms over the Atlantic Ocean near Bermuda during
summer, often steers storms toward the U.S. It was weaker and posi
tioned a farther east, allowing storms to curve around its western edge and head out to sea, according to AccuWeather.