More record-breaking tropical storms in 2024

On Nov. 30, the 2024 tropical storm and hurricane season in the Atlantic and Caribbean waters officially ended. It was another year of record-breaking storms that led to over $222 billion in total damage. This was the second costliest tropical storm and hurricane season in recorded history.

The season began with Hurricane Beryl. The storm formed in June as a major hurricane and was the earliest Category 5 Atlantic hurricane in history. Conditions were fairly quiet in July, which made some scientists believe that the season may not be as active. However, it was a different story in August as Hurricane Debby formed in the Gulf of Mexico and made landfall in Florida and South Carolina in the early portion of the month. Tropical activity exploded in August, at least partly due to the record warm sea-surface temperatures in the Atlantic Ocean.

Overall, 18 named storms developed during the 2024 season. Out of the ones that formed, there were 11 of them that developed into hurricanes and five of them intensified into “major” hurricanes. To be classified as a major hurricane, the storm must reach at least Category 3 status.

On Sept. 26, Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida as a Category 4 storm. Helene was the strongest hurricane to hit Florida’s Big Bend region in history. The flooding was also “catastrophic” as many long-time flood records, especially in North Carolina, were broken as over 30 inches of rain was reported in some North Carolina locations.

Florida was hit by three different hurricanes during the 2024 season. They included Hurricane Debby, Helene and Milton. The last two made landfall just several weeks apart in Florida. Both Hurricane Debby and Helene impacted Florida’s Big Bend region.

Hurricane Milton was the strongest and most destructive storm of the 2024 season. Milton formed in the Gulf of Mexico and became one of the most rapidly intensifying storms in history as it exploded from a Category 1 system to a Category 5 in less than 24 hours. The storm rapidly grew Oct. 7, which was about a month past the normal peak of the season. Damage from that one storm was over $85 billion.

There were five hurricanes that made landfall in the U.S. in 2024. The greatest number of hurricanes to hit the U.S. in a single season was six back in 1886, 1985 and 2020.

Based on the 30-year average from 1991 to 2020, there is a new average of about 14 named storms each season. Seven of 14 storms, on average, will form as hurricanes with three of them becoming major hurricanes. Sept. 10 was the approximate peak of the tropical storm and hurricane season that officially began June 1 and ended Nov. 30.

Several hurricanes that formed in October included Kirk and Leslie. These systems broke records for the easternmost formation at that time of year. Kirk did cause significant damage in parts of Western Europe, especially in France. Hurricane Rafael formed in November and tied for the strongest tropical cyclone in the Gulf of Mexico. The other big hurricane that formed in November was Hurricane Kate.

Although the season has officially ended, it’s always possible to have tropical storms and hurricane formation in December and January. Most recently, Tropical Storm Olga formed Dec. 11, 2007, and Category 1 Hurricane Alex formed in the Caribbean on Jan. 12, 2016.

In terms of our local weather, November did turn into a wet month across the Inland Northwest. At Cliff’s station, a total of 3.52 inches of moisture fell, compared to the normal of 3.07 inches. At the Spokane International Airport, 4.24 inches of rain and melted snow were reported, compared to a normal of 1.95 inches. Coeur d’Alene only picked up 0.2 inches of snowfall last month with higher amounts in the outlying areas. Spokane had a higher total of 2.6 inches for November. It’s not very often, especially during the late fall and winter months, that Spokane will end up with higher precipitation and snowfall totals than Coeur d’Alene, but that was the case last month.

According to Cliff’s records, since 1895, there were nine Novembers without any measurable snowfall in Coeur d’Alene. With 0.2 inches recorded last month, this was the 10th most snowless November in recorded history.

After a dry period early this week, it looks like we’ll get some additional moisture by late in the week. However, the air mass is still forecast to be warm with mostly rain in the lower elevations. There is a chance of colder air moving in from the northwestern regions in mid to late December. However, sea-surface temperatures have been warming along the equatorial regions, and it’s not looking good for the cooler La Niña to be declared. If the warming continues, then we may have to lower the Inland Northwest’s snowfall projections for the 2024-25 season.

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Contact Randy Mann at randy@longrangeweather.com.