000 ABPZ30 KNHC 011445 TWSEP MONTHLY TROPICAL WEATHER SUMMARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL 7 AM PST SAT DEC 1 2001 SUMMARY OF TROPICAL CYCLONE ACTIVITY FOR 2001... FOR THE EASTERN NORTH PACIFIC...EAST OF 140 DEGREES WEST LONGITUDE... THERE WERE 15 NAMED TROPICAL CYCLONES IN THE EASTERN NORTH PACIFIC BASIN DURING 2001. OF THESE...8 BECAME HURRICANES AND 2 BECAME MAJOR HURRICANES...CATEGORY 3 OR HIGHER ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON HURRICANE SCALE. THESE NUMBERS MAKE THE 2001 EASTERN PACIFIC HURRICANE SEASON NEAR NORMAL IN ACTIVITY. THE LONG-TERM AVERAGES FOR THE EASTERN PACIFIC ARE 16 NAMED STORMS...9 HURRICANES...AND 4 MAJOR HURRICANES. IN ADDITION...THERE WERE 2 TROPICAL DEPRESSIONS IN 2001 THAT FAILED TO REACH TROPICAL STORM STRENGTH. THERE WAS ONLY ONE LANDFALL...JULIETTE...WHICH BROUGHT HURRICANE CONDITIONS TO THE SOUTHERN PORTION OF BAJA CALIFORNIA. INDIVIDUAL STORM SUMMARIES... ADOLPH WAS THE STRONGEST MAY HURRICANE ON RECORD IN THE BASIN. THE CYCLONE DEVELOPED ON THE 25TH...BECAME A TROPICAL STORM THE NEXT DAY AND A HURRICANE ON THE 27TH. AFTER MEANDERING A COUPLE HUNDRED MILES SOUTH OF ACAPULCO MEXICO...ADOLPH TURNED NORTHWESTWARD LATE ON THE 27TH AND THREATENED TO BRING TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS TO THE SOUTHERN COAST OF MEXICO. HOWEVER...THE HURRICANE TURNED WEST-NORTHWESTWARD AND EDGED AWAY FROM LAND WHILE STRENGTHING TO CATEGORY 4 INTENSITY ON THE 28TH. THE PEAK INTENSITY OF 125 KT WAS REACHED EARLY ON THE 29TH. ADOLPH CONTINUED TO MOVE GENERALLY WESTWARD AWAY FROM LAND WHILE WEAKENING. ADOLPH WEAKENED TO A TROPICAL STORM ON 1 JUNE A FEW HUNDRED MILES SOUTH OF CABO SAN LUCAS MEXICO. IT CONTINUED TO TRACK SLOWLY WEST-NORTHWESTWARD...AND DISSIPATED OVER WATER LATER THAT DAY ABOUT 400 N MI SOUTH-SOUTHWEST OF CABO SAN LUCAS. BARBARA...WHICH MOVED ON A STEADY WEST-NORTHWESTWARD TRACK THROUGHOUT ITS LIFETIME...FIRST FORMED AS A DEPRESSION ON 20 JUNE ABOUT 115 N MI WEST-SOUTHWEST OF CABO SAN LUCAS. THE DEPRESSION STRENGTHENED AND BECAME A TROPICAL STORM LATER THAT DAY. BARBARA REACHED ITS PEAK INTENSITY OF 50 KT ON THE 21ST...THEN WEAKENED TO A MINIMAL TROPICAL STORM AS IT CROSSED INTO THE CENTRAL PACIFIC BASIN ON THE 22ND. BARBARA WEAKENED TO A DEPRESSION ON THE 22ND AND TO AN OPEN WAVE NORTHWEST OF KAUAI IN THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS ON THE 26TH. COSME DEVELOPED FROM A TROPICAL WAVE INTO A DEPRESSION ON 13 JULY ABOUT 330 N MI SOUTHWEST OF MANZANILLO MEXICO. THE DEPRESSION MOVED WEST-NORTHWESTWARD AND REACHED TROPICAL STORM STRENGTH LATER THAT DAY ABOUT 425 N MI SOUTH OF CABO SAN LUCAS. ITS PEAK INTENSITY OF 40 KT WAS REACHED LATE ON THE 13TH...AFTER WHICH COSME WAS WEAKENED BY WIND SHEAR. IT WEAKENED BACK TO A DEPRESSION LATE ON THE 14TH ABOUT 400 N MI SOUTHWEST OF CABO SAN LUCAS...AND DISSIPATED EARLY ON THE 15TH. DALILA MOVED ON A WEST-NORTHWESTWARD TRACK AT FORWARD SPEEDS VARYING FROM 5 TO 15 KNOTS FROM ITS FORMATION ON 21 JULY TO ITS DISSIPATION ON THE 28TH. THE TRACK PARALLELED THE PACIFIC COAST OF MEXICO. THE CENTER CAME WITHIN 150 N MI OF THE COAST FROM THE 22ND TO THE 24TH...AND A TROPICAL STORM WARNING AND HURRICANE WATCH WERE ISSUED FOR PORTIONS OF MEXICO. DALILA BRIEFLY BECAME A HURRICANE ON THE 24TH WHILE MOVING AWAY FROM THE MAINLAND. DALILA PASSED DIRECTLY OVER SOCORRO ISLAND ON THE 25TH. ERICK WAS A SHORT-LIVED TROPICAL STORM THAT NEVER THREATENED LAND. IT DEVELOPED INTO A TROPICAL DEPRESSION OVER THE OPEN PACIFIC ON 20 JULY. WHILE MOVING ON A WEST-NORTHWEST TRACK... IT BECAME A TROPICAL STORM ON THE 21ST ABOUT 825 N MI WEST-SOUTHWEST OF CABO SAN LUCAS. ERICK WEAKENED BACK TO A TROPICAL DEPRESSION ON THE 23RD. ERICK CONTINUED TO TRACK WEST-NORTHWEST AND DISSIPATED OVER COOL WATER ON THE 24TH ABOUT 1000 N MI WEST OF CABO SAN LUCAS. TROPICAL DEPRESSION SIX-E FORMED ON 22 AUGUST FROM AN AREA OF DISTURBED WEATHER ABOUT 1130 N MI EAST OF HAWAIIAN ISLANDS. THE CYCLONE MOVED MAINLY NORTH-NORTHWESTWARD FOR THE NEXT DAY OR SO...AND DISSIPATED ON THE 24TH. FLOSSIE FORMED ON 26 AUGUST ABOUT 235 N MI SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF CABO SAN LUCAS...AND BECOME A TROPICAL STORM LATER THAT SAME DAY. IT MOVED WESTWARD...PASSING JUST NORTH OF SOCORRO ISLAND...AND INTENSIFIED INTO A HURRICANE LATE ON THE 27TH. EARLY ON THE 28TH THE FORWARD MOTION SLOWED. FLOSSIE DRIFTED SOUTHWESTWARD AND THEN NORTHWESTWARD...INTENSIFYING TO A PEAK STRENGTH NEAR 90 KT LATE ON THE 29TH. FLOSSIE BEGAN WEAKENING ON THE 30TH AND GRADUALLY TURNED NORTHWARD. FLOSSIE THEN MOVED SLOWLY NORTHEASTWARD OVER COLDER WATER...WEAKENED TO A TROPICAL DEPRESSION ON THE 1ST OF SEPTEMBER ...AND DISSIPATED ABOUT 200 N MI WEST OF CENTRAL BAJA CALIFORNIA ON THE 2ND. MOISTURE FROM FLOSSIE MOVED OVER SOUTHWEST CALIFORNIA AND HELPED TRIGGER FLOOD-PRODUCING HEAVY RAINS AND DEADLY CLOUD-TO-GROUND LIGHTNING. FOUR PEOPLE WERE STRUCK BY LIGHTNING IN THE SAN DIEGO AND SAN BERNARDINO MOUNTAINS ON THE 2ND AND 3RD... KILLING A 53-YR OLD MAN AND A 13-YR OLD BOY. THESE ARE CONSIDERED INDIRECT DEATHS...SINCE FLOSSIE WAS NO LONGER A TROPICAL CYCLONE AT THE TIME. GIL WAS NOTABLE FOR ITS INTERACTION WITH...AND EVENTUAL ABSORPTION OF HENRIETTE. IT FIRST FORMED AS A TROPICAL DEPRESSION ABOUT 850 N MI SOUTHWEST OF CABO SAN LUCAS ON 4 SEPTEMBER. THE CYCLONE MOVED WEST-NORTHWESTWARD AND REACHED TROPICAL STORM STRENGTH LATER THAT DAY. A SLOW WEST-SOUTHWESTWARD MOTION OCCURRED ON THE 5TH AND 6TH...WITH GIL REACHING HURRICANE STRENGTH AND A PEAK INTENSITY OF 85 KNOTS ON THE 6TH. GIL TURNED NORTH-NORTHWEST AND WEAKENED ON THE 7TH...AND THIS MOTION CONTINUED INTO THE 8TH AS GIL WEAKENED TO A TROPICAL STORM. LATER ON THE 8TH AND 9TH...GIL TURNED NORTHWESTWARD...WESTWARD...AND SOUTHWESTWARD AS IT ROTATED AROUND HENRIETTE. GIL WEAKENED TO A DEPRESSION DURING THE ROTATION...AND THEN WEAKENED TO A REMNANT LOW LATE ON THE 9TH ABOUT 925 N MI EAST OF THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS. HENRIETTE DEVELOPED INTO A DEPRESSION ON 4 SEPTEMBER ABOUT 300 N MI WEST-SOUTHWEST OF MANZANILLO. THE CYCLONE INITIALLY TRACKED WEST- NORTHWESTWARD...THEN TURNED WESTWARD ON THE 5TH WHILE BECOMING A TROPICAL STORM. IT TURNED NORTHWESTWARD ON THE 6TH AND REACHED ITS PEAK INTENSITY OF 55 KNOTS EARLY ON THE 7TH. STEADY WEAKENING BEGAN LATER THAT DAY AS THE SYSTEM MOVED OVER COOLER WATER. HENRIETTE WEAKENED TO A TROPICAL DEPRESSION ON THE 8TH AS IT ROTATED AROUND GIL...AND LATER THAT DAY WAS ABSORBED BY THE CIRCULATION OF GIL ABOUT 1300 N MI EAST OF THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS. IVO BECAME A DEPRESSION ON 10 SEPTEMBER ABOUT 100 N MI SOUTH- SOUTHWEST OF ACAPULCO AND BECAME A TROPICAL STORM THE NEXT DAY. IT MOVED GENERALLY NORTHWESTWARD...PARALLEL TO AND 100-150 N MI OFFSHORE OF THE COAST OF MEXICO. IVO SPREAD HEAVY RAINS OVER THE MAINLAND OF MEXICO AND SOUTHERN BAJA CALIFORNIA. IT REACHED ITS PEAK INTENSITY OF 45 KNOTS ON THE 12TH AND 13TH. IT DISSIPATED ON THE 15TH ABOUT 435 N MI WEST-NORTHWEST OF CABO SAN LUCAS. JULIETTE FORMED FROM THE REMNANT DISTURBANCE OF ATLANTIC TROPICAL DEPRESSION NINE...WHICH MOVED ACROSS CENTRAL AMERICA ON 19-20 SEPTEMBER. IT BECAME A TROPICAL DEPRESSION ON THE 21ST ABOUT 90 N MI SOUTH OF THE COAST OF GUATEMALA AND SOON STRENGTHENED INTO A TROPICAL STORM. THE STORM MOVED WEST-NORTHWESTWARD PARALLEL TO THE COAST OF MEXICO AND ABOUT 100-200 N MI OFFSHORE. JULIETTE BECAME A HURRICANE ON THE 23RD AND RAPIDLY INTENSIFIED TO 125 KNOTS...A CATEGORY 4 HURRICANE...ON THE 25TH WHILE LOCATED ABOUT 195 N MI SOUTH-SOUTHWEST OF MANZANILLO. JULIETTE REMAINED NEAR CATEGORY 4 INTENSITY...WITH SOME FLUCTUATION IN WIND SPEED...FOR ABOUT TWO DAYS. AIR FORCE RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT MEASURED A MINIMUM SEA LEVEL PRESSURE OF 923 MB IN JULIETTE ON THE 25TH...THE SECOND-LOWEST MEASURED PRESSURE ON RECORD FOR THE EAST PACIFIC. ON THE 26TH- 27TH...THE HURRICANE TURNED NORTHWESTWARD AND THEN NORTHWARD WHILE SLOWLY WEAKENING. JULIETTE MOVED NEAR THE SOUTHERN BAJA CALIFORNIA PENINSULA ON THE 28TH THROUGH THE 30TH...CAUSING HURRICANE FORCE WINDS...HEAVY RAINS...AND BATTERING WAVES FOR ABOUT 36 HOURS. WEAKENING TO A TROPICAL STORM...IT MOVED NORTHWARD INTO BAJA CALIFORNIA ON THE 30TH. JULIETTE MOVED OVER THE GULF OF CALIFORNIA AS A DEPRESSION LATER THAT DAY...AND THE CYCLONE MEANDERED OVER THE NORTHERN PORTION OF THE GULF UNTIL IT DISSIPATED ON 3 OCTOBER. RAINS FROM JULIETTE SPREAD INLAND ACROSS NORTHWEST MEXICO AND INTO THE SOUTHWESTERN UNITED STATES. ONE SURFING-RELATED DROWNING DEATH WAS REPORTED FROM BAJA CALIFORNIA AND A FISHERMAN DROWNED NEAR ACAPULCO WHEN HIGH SEAS CAPSIZED HIS SMALL BOAT. KIKO FORMED ON 21 SEPTEMBER ABOUT 560 N MI SOUTHWEST OF CABO SAN LUCAS AND STRENGTHENED TO A TROPICAL STORM THE NEXT DAY. KIKO MOVED ON A WEST-NORTHWEST TO WESTWARD HEADING DURING ITS EXISTENCE. IT BRIEFLY STRENGTHENED TO A HURRICANE ON THE 23RD...BUT A STEADY WEAKENING TREND BEGAN SOON THEREAFTER. THE SYSTEM DISSIPATED ABOUT 1450 N MI EAST OF THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS ON THE 25TH...HOWEVER ITS REMNANT LOW COULD BE TRACKED AS IT MOVED SLOWLY WESTWARD FOR SEVERAL MORE DAYS. LORENA DEVELOPED FROM A TROPICAL WAVE AND BECAME A DEPRESSION ON 2 OCTOBER ABOUT 300 N MI SOUTH OF ACAPULCO. MOVING SLOWLY WEST- NORTHWESTWARD...THE DEPRESSION STRENGTHENED INTO A TROPICAL STORM LATER THAT DAY. LORENA TURNED NORTHWESTWARD ON THE 3RD AND MOVED PARALLEL TO THE COAST OF MEXICO. IT REACHED ITS PEAK INTENSITY OF 50 KT LATER THAT DAY ABOUT 180 N MI SOUTH-SOUTHWEST OF MANZANILLO. AN APPROACHING UPPER-LEVEL TROUGH TURNED THE CYCLONE NORTHWARD AND PRODUCED STRONG VERTICAL SHEAR. LORENA WEAKENED BACK TO A TROPICAL DEPRESSION EARLY ON THE 4TH AND DISSIPATED LATER THAT DAY ABOUT 120 N MI SOUTHWEST OF PUERTO VALLARTA MEXICO. SHORT-LIVED TROPICAL DEPRESSION FOURTEEN-E DEVELOPED FROM A DISTURBANCE IN THE INTERTROPICAL CONVERGENCE ZONE AND BECAME A DEPRESSION ON 3 OCTOBER ABOUT 800 N MI SOUTHWEST OF CABO SAN LUCAS. THE DEPRESSION MOVED TO THE WEST AND DISSIPATED THE NEXT DAY. MANUEL FORMED FROM THE REMNANTS OF ATLANTIC HURRICANE IRIS...BECOMING A DEPRESSION ON 10 OCTOBER ABOUT 175 N MI SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF ACAPULCO. MOVING TO THE WEST AND WEST-NORTHWEST ...THE SYSTEM BECAME A TROPICAL STORM ON THE 11TH ABOUT 200 N MI SOUTH-SOUTHWEST OF ZIHUATANEJO MEXICO. A FIRST PEAK INTENSITY...45 KT...WAS REACHED LATER THAT DAY. PLAGUED BY WIND SHEAR...MANUEL WEAKENED TO A TROPICAL DEPRESSION ON THE 12TH. LITTLE CHANGE OCCURRED OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS WHILE MANUEL MOVED TO THE WEST-SOUTHWEST AND SLOWED. AFTER TURNING TO THE NORTHWEST...IT BECAME A TROPICAL STORM AGAIN ON THE 15TH AND REACHED ITS PEAK INTENSITY OF 50 KT THE NEXT DAY ABOUT 540 N MI SOUTHWEST OF CABO SAN LUCAS. MANUEL MOVED OVER COOLER WATERS AND WEAKENED TO A DEPRESSION ON THE 17TH...AND DISSIPATED EARLY ON THE 18TH. NARDA BECAME A TROPICAL DEPRESSION ON 20 OCTOBER ABOUT 1150 N MI SOUTHWEST OF CABO SAN LUCAS AND QUICKLY BECAME A TROPICAL STORM. NARDA MOVED WEST-NORTHWESTWARD TO WESTWARD AND INTENSIFIED... REACHING A PEAK INTENSITY OF 75 KNOTS ON THE 22ND. IT MAINTAINED HURRICANE STATUS FOR ABOUT A DAY AND THEN WEAKENED. NARDA DISSIPATED ON THE 25TH AFTER CROSSING 140 DEGREES WEST LONGITUDE INTO THE CENTRAL PACIFIC TROPICAL CYCLONE BASIN. OCTAVE DEVELOPED FROM A LARGE AREA OF DISTURBED WEATHER ABOUT 1000 N MI SOUTHWEST OF CABO SAN LUCAS ON 31 OCTOBER. IT MOVED GENERALLY NORTHWESTWARD AND STRENGTHENED...BECOMING A 75-KNOT HURRICANE ON 2 NOVEMBER. OCTAVE WEAKENED TO A TROPICAL STORM LATE ON THE 2ND...TO A DEPRESSION ON THE 3RD...AND THEN BECAME A SWIRL OF LOW CLOUDS LATE ON THE 3RD. SUMMARY TABLE... NAME DATES WIND-KT DEATHS ------------------------------------------------------------ HUR. ADOLPH 25 MAY - 1 JUN 125 T.S. BARBARA 20 - 26 JUN 50 T.S. COSME 13 - 15 JUL 40 HUR. DALILA 21 - 28 JUL 65 T.S. ERICK 20 - 24 JUL 35 T.D. SIX-E 22 - 24 AUG 30 HUR. FLOSSIE 26 AUG - 2 SEP 90 HUR. GIL 4 - 9 SEP 85 T.S. HENRIETTE 4 - 8 SEP 55 T.S. IVO 10 - 14 SEP 45 HUR. JULIETTE 21 SEP - 3 OCT 125 2 HUR. KIKO 21 - 25 SEP 65 T.S. LORENA 2 - 4 OCT 50 T.D. FOURTEEN-E 3 - 4 OCT 30 T.S. MANUEL 10 - 18 OCT 50 HUR. NARDA 20 - 25 OCT 75 HUR. OCTAVE 31 OCT - 3 NOV 75 ------------------------------------------------------------ NOTE...DATES ARE BASED ON UNIVERSAL COORDINATED TIME...UTC. FORECASTER FRANKLIN/AVILA/BEVEN/LAWRENCE/PASCH/STEWART