Arthur the first tropical storm of the season likely to develop this weekend

(Source: CNN) – June 1 is the official start to Atlantic hurricane season, but a weather system forming now may make this the sixth straight year with a tropical system forming before that date.

Previous preseason storms

• May 20, 2019 — Subtropical Storm Andrea

• May 25, 2018 — Tropical Storm Alberto

• April 19, 2017 — Tropical Storm Arlene

• January 12, 2016 — Hurricane Alex

• May 27, 2016 — Tropical Storm Bonnie

• May 8, 2015 — Tropical Storm Ana

“It is likely that this low pressure center may become a tropical storm or a subtropical storm, by late tonight or Saturday, near the northwestern Bahamas,” the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said.

There is an 80% chance this forms into a named storm system, the NHC says.

Regardless of if it gets a name or not, the storm will bring periods of heavy rainfall to parts of the Florida Keys, southeastern Florida, and in the Bahamas, through Saturday.

Tropical-storm-force wind gusts are also possible across this region.

“Dangerous surf conditions and rip currents are possible along portions of the southeast US coast this weekend and early next week,” the NHC says.

If and when the named storm forms, most forecast models keep the storm just off the southeastern coast before curving it back out farther into the Atlantic.

Areas of the Pacific Ocean have also had an interesting start to their tropical season. On April 25, Tropical Depression ONE-E formed south of Mexico’s Baja California region, marking the first tropical depression on record in the month of April for the Eastern Pacific Ocean.

This is quite the contrast to the Western Pacific, which just had its eighth latest start to a tropical season since 1950.

If this system in the Atlantic does get named, it will be Arthur, however, it may classify more as sub-tropical.

“A subtropical storm is a hybrid between a regular area of low pressure, which has a cold core, and pure tropical system which has warm core,” explained CNN meteorologist Dave Hennen.

For a subtropical storm to become a hurricane, it has to become fully tropical by establishing a warm core and then strengthen to hurricane-force winds.

“This potential storm is not likely to become a full hurricane,” CNN meteorologist Chad Myers said. “Still, with ocean temperatures above normal most of the year, the middle of May will likely become the new start of tropical storm season.”

Conditions are becoming favorable for tropical development

While the system is largely unorganized now, it is expected to move into an area of lower wind shear, which is a much more favorable environment. This will allow the storm to become more organized and strengthen.

Sea surface temperatures continue to remain above average across the Atlantic — except for the cooler North Atlantic.

According to the National Hurricane Center, an Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter aircraft is scheduled to investigate this system on Friday to determine how organized the storm is becoming and the strength.

Warm surface temperatures are the fuel needed for hurricane development.

There are over a dozen early forecasts published. And even though the official forecast from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration won’t come until May 21, a strong consensus in the forecasts across the industry indicates the Atlantic is in for an active season.