2023 Atlantic Hurricane season ending: Above-average season fueled by strong El Niño, record-warm ocean temps
Thursday marks the end of the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season.
This season had 20 storms overall and 19 named storms, which is the fourth-highest total since 1950:
- Arlene
- Bret
- Cindy
- Don
- Emily
- Franklin
- Gert
- Harold
- Idalia
- Jose
- Katia
- Lee
- Margo
- Nigel
- Ophelia
- Philippe
- Rina
- Sean
- Tammy
Tropical Storms
- 2023: 20
- Average: 14
Hurricanes
- 2023: Seven
- Average: Seven
Major hurricanes
- 2023: Three
- Average: Three
It was an above average season thanks to a strong El Niño and record-breaking surface temperatures in the Atlantic Ocean.
This year, Tropical Storm Ophelia was the only storm to make landfall in North Carolina. On Sept. 23, it made landfall at Emerald Isle with wind speeds of 70 mph. Wind gusts during the storm reached 83 mph southeast of Wrightsville Beach. Flooding rains impacted North Carolina up to New Jersey.
In 2023, Hurricane Idalia was the only hurricane to make landfall in the U.S. It made landfall on Aug. 30 as a Category 3 hurricane in the Big Bend region of Florida. At one point, Idalia was a Category 4 hurricane.
Idalia, Franklin (Category 4) and Lee (Category 5) were the season’s three major hurricanes.
In 2023, nine systems impacted land and three systems impacted the U.S.
It was a very early start to the season. The first storm formed on Jan. 16 and was an unnamed subtropical storm. It made landfall in Nova Scotia.
The Atlantic hurricane season runs each year from June 1 through Nov. 30.
