wxman57 wrote:You can watch the NOAA outlook here. I'm expecting predicted numbers to drop over the summer. Just about an average season in terms of numbers. Weaker Bermuda high by August could allow more to recurve earlier. Less of a Gulf threat, but watch out southeast U.S..
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/noaa-hurricane-season-forecast-2025/
I'm in the same camp as you. I read the entire NOAA report and found that they too were less than confident regarding a few different factors. The most interesting forecast factor being their forecast of the African Monsoon being displaced northward around peak season. Their reasoning for this being a positive factor for development would seem to be for strong tropical waves coming off Africa at a reasonable latitude (not being suppressed too far to the south). At the same time though, NOAA acknowledged that should the African Monsoon shift "too far" north (as they referenced DID occur during 2024), then tropical waves would possibly exit off the coast at a more northerly latitude and over significantly cooler SST water. That could well lead to a more suppressed year and/or with abundant East Atlantic recurvature storm tracks.
In spite of a forecast Nino 3.4 region neutral ENSO, I still wonder about the very warm SST's that still remains over the far Eastern EPAC. It was not referenced in the report but If that were to persist, then downwind UL conditions over the West and Central Caribbean could be less than conducive for development.
Lastly NOAA prediction of a strong but northerly displaced West Atlantic Ridge in conjunction with very warm Caribbean SST's may play a factor for W. Atlantic development to occur in the Eastern and Northern Caribbean. Hopefully too close to land to strengthen and severely impact the Greater Antilles... but with a more northerly shifted Atlantic/Bermuda high, possibly result in a much more northwestern component of storm track. That would seem to decrease the broader season risk to Central America or the West GOM, but enhance risk to the Bahamas, East Coast Florida to the Cape Hatteras, and Bermuda.
It'll be interesting to see if both CSU and NOAA remain bullish on the upcoming season, or which one may be first to flinch if favorable conditions fail to materialize as we approach peak season.