Meteorologists and scientists at several federal agencies are considering changing the official start of the Atlantic Hurricane Season to May 15th. The National Hurricane Center and several branches of the National Weather Service will assess the idea. The World Meteorological Organization is expected to discuss the change at their annual meeting next month.
Dennis Feltgen, public affairs officer for NOAA, said, “An examination would need to take place regarding the need for, and potential ramifications of, potentially moving the beginning of the hurricane season to May 15.”
There are no plans to change the end date of the season, which is November 30th. Though the end date does have a history of being pushed back: First from October 31 to November 13, and now November 30th.
If the change were made, the NHC would issue their routine Atlantic Tropical Weather Outlook May 15th this year. But because the issue is still undecided, Feltgen says the start of the season won’t be changed this year.
