Be Hurricane Prepared in the Fall

Hurricanes and Tropical Storms are favored along the east coast in the fall.

Believe it or not, the hurricane season actually peaks from September into early October. And as we get into October, storm tracks up the East Coast are not all that uncommon.

Remember the “perfect storm” in 1991? That was a storm that ate a hurricane and eventually became its own hurricane and that storm occurred from late October into early November.

Back to hurricane season, October is the 3rd most active month for hurricanes. So what? It’s actually a close 3rd, with August only being slightly more active. Now why is October so active? Temperatures may be getting chilly up here in Connecticut, but remember that storms develop over the tropical Atlantic. Water is good at insulating, so while it make take longer to warm up, it also takes more time to cool off. This explains why September and October are so active – because the ocean temperatures are still very warm.

Now, October has something else in its favor as well. As we get closer to the winter season, the Polar jet stream begins to shift southward from Canada and towards the United States. This means that the gradient between cold air from the north and warm air to the south becomes tighter. The result is an atmosphere that is more volatile and helps produce strong low pressure systems.

All we’re saying is that you shouldn’t let your guard down, especially into the fall season. Whether it be a hurricane, the “perfect storm” or the historic autumn nor’easter of 2011, severe weather makers are no strangers to New England in October and November.