When Does Hurricane Season Begin?

When Does Hurricane Season Begin?

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Story Published: Mar 13, 2008 at 12:13 PM PST

Story Updated: Mar 13, 2008 at 12:13 PM PST

By Steve Pool

SEATTLE - As far as most of the U.S. is concerned, hurricane season begins June 1 and runs through November 30, although the eastern Pacific season (which affects Mexico and Hawaii) began May 15.

But why don't we ever get any hurricanes in Washington? It's all about ocean temperature. Hurricanes need warm water -- over 75 degrees -- to form and survive. At our latitude, the Pacific Ocean is way too cold (between 50-60 degrees) to form or sustain them. So any hurricane that even tried to come this way would fizzle long before it reached here. However, we have had winter windstorms that have featured hurricane-force winds (over 74 mph) but it's not considered a hurricane if it is not a tropical-based storm.

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