SUMMARY OF 2013 ATLANTIC TROPICAL CYCLONE ACTIVITY AND VERIFICATION OF AUTHORS' SEASONAL AND TWO-WEEK FORECASTS The 2013 Atlantic hurricane season was much quieter than predicted in our seasonal outlooks. While many of the large-scale conditions typically associated with active seasons were present (e.g., anomalously warm tropical Atlantic, absence of El Niño conditions, anomalously low tropical Atlantic sea level pressures), very dry mid-level air combined with mid-level subsidence and stable lapse rates to significantly suppress the 2013 Atlantic hurricane season. These unfavorable conditions were likely generated by a significant weakening of our proxy for the strength of the Atlantic Multi-Decadal Oscillation/Atlantic Thermohaline Circulation during the late spring into the early summer. Overall activity in 2013 was approximately 30% of the 1981-2010 median. By Philip J. Klotzbach1 and William M. Gray2 This forecast as well as past forecasts and verifications are available via the World Wide Web at http://hurricane.atmos.colostate.edu Kortny Rolston, Colorado State University Media Representative, (970-491-5349) is available to answer various questions about this verification. Department of Atmospheric Science Colorado State University Fort Collins, CO 80523 Email:
[email protected] As of 19 November 2013 1 Research Scientist 2 Professor Emeritus of Atmospheric Science 1 ATLANTIC BASIN SEASONAL HURRICANE FORECASTS FOR 2013* Forecast Parameter and 1981-2010 Median 10 April 2013 Update Update Observed % of 1981- (in parentheses)