The Atlantic remains in a state of slumber at the moment, with no tropical depressions expected to develop through the end of the week.
Several factors are aiding in suppressing any spin-ups at the moment, and we can look at various parts of the Atlantic to see why:
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First, the Gulf of Mexico is void of any fronts. Frontal systems stalled over the Gulf can produce thunderstorms that eventually begin feeding off the warm waters and develop into organized tropical systems.
Looking further east, much of the Caribbean is being impacted by hostile upper winds that are not conducive to tropical formation.
And finally, the deep tropical Atlantic is covered in a thick blanket of dusty and dry air, putting a cap on thunderstorm complexes that roll off of Africa.
This pause is not out of the ordinary for this time of year, though it may seem like whiplash after the ultra-busy past couple seasons.
By this time last year, we already had a hurricane on the board and the earliest “E” storm on record with Hurricane Elsa.
2020 was the busiest season in the record books and already had an eye-popping eight named storms by this time. So far this year, we have had three.
This is still above-normal, as the average date for the third named storm isn’t until Aug. 3.
Hurricane season may begin June 1, but it’s really not until August before we typically see the tropics wake up.
About 90% of hurricanes occur from August through October. At the moment, we can enjoy the tropics hitting the snooze button.