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Tropical Weather Summary (Text)

000
ABPZ30 KNHC 011544
TWSEP 
MONTHLY TROPICAL WEATHER SUMMARY
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
8 AM PDT MON DEC 1 2003
 
FOR THE EASTERN NORTH PACIFIC...EAST OF 140 DEGREES WEST LONGITUDE..

THERE WERE 16 NAMED TROPICAL CYCLONES IN THE EASTERN NORTH PACIFIC
BASIN IN 2003...OF WHICH SEVEN BECAME HURRICANES.  THESE TOTALS
COMPARE TO LONG-TERM AVERAGES OF 16 NAMED TROPICAL CYCLONES AND
NINE HURRICANES.  THERE WERE NO MAJOR HURRICANES...CATEGORY THREE
OR HIGHER ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON HURRICANE SCALE...DURING THE 2003
SEASON...AND THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THIS HAS OCCURRED SINCE 1977.

FIVE NAMED TROPICAL CYCLONES MADE LANDFALL IN MEXICO DURING THE
SEASON. HURRICANES IGNACIO AND MARTY MADE LANDFALL IN BAJA
CALIFORNIA...BRINGING HIGH WINDS...STORM SURGE...AND HEAVY RAIN.
CARLOS AND OLAF MADE LANDFALLS ALONG MAINLAND MEXICO AS TROPICAL
STORMS...WHILE NORA AND MARTY MADE LANDFALL IN MAINLAND MEXICO AS A
TROPICAL DEPRESSION.  

ANDRES DEVELOPED FROM AN AREA OF DISTURBED WEATHER FIRST NOTED ON
15 MAY SOUTH OF GUATEMALA WITHIN A BROAD AREA OF LOW PRESSURE.
THE DISTURBANCE THEN MOVED WESTWARD FOR THE NEXT FEW DAYS AND
ORGANIZED INTO A TROPICAL DEPRESSION ON 19 MAY ABOUT 920 N MI
SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF CABO SAN LUCAS MEXICO. EARLY THE NEXT DAY THE
DEPRESSION STRENGTHENED INTO THE FIRST TROPICAL STORM OF THE
SEASON. ANDRES MOVED UNEVENTFULLY TO THE WEST-NORTHWEST UNTIL IT
BEGAN TO WEAKEN OVER COOLER WATERS ON 24 MAY AND ITS TRACK TURNED
BACK TO THE WEST. ANDRES WEAKENED TO A DEPRESSION AND THEN
DEGENERATED TO A REMNANT LOW THE NEXT DAY ABOUT 1500 N MI
WEST-SOUTHWEST OF CABO SAN LUCAS.

BLANCA FORMED ABOUT 210 N MI SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF MANZANILLO MEXICO
AND REACHED ITS PEAK INTENSITY OF 50 KT ON 18 JUNE.  IT SPENT ITS
LIFETIME MEANDERING NOT FAR FROM ITS POINT OF ORIGIN...AND
EVENTUALLY DEGENERATED INTO A REMNANT LOW THAT DISSIPATED ABOUT 100
N MI SOUTH OF MANZANILLO.

CARLOS DEVELOPED ON 26 JUNE ABOUT 120 N MI SOUTH OF PUERTO ESCONDIDO
MEXICO.  THE CYCLONE MOVED SLOWLY NORTHWARD AND MADE LANDFALL NEAR
PUERTO ESCONDIDO EARLY ON 27 JUNE WITH AN INTENSITY OF 55 KT. 
CARLOS RAPIDLY WEAKENED OVER THE MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN OF MEXICO AND
DISSIPATED LATER THAT DAY.

DOLORES WAS A SHORT-LIVED TROPICAL STORM THAT FORMED ABOUT 650 N MI
SOUTH-SOUTHWEST OF CABO SAN LUCAS EARLY ON 6 JULY.  A LITTLE LATER
THAT DAY THE SYSTEM STRENGTHENED INTO A MINIMAL TROPICAL STORM. 
DOLORES SOON WEAKENED BACK TO A DEPRESSION UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF
STRONG NORTHEASTERLY WIND SHEAR.  MOVING NORTHWESTWARD TO
WEST-NORTHWESTWARD...THE CYCLONE DEGENERATED INTO A REMNANT LOW
EARLY ON 8 JULY.  THE LOW DISSIPATED ON 9 JULY ABOUT 910 N MI
WEST-SOUTHWEST OF CABO SAN LUCAS.

ENRIQUE DEVELOPED ON 10 JULY ABOUT 565 N MI SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF CABO
SAN LUCAS. ENRIQUE MOVED WEST-NORTHWESTWARD FOR THE NEXT 2 DAYS AND
REACHED ITS PEAK INTENSITY OF 55 KT EARLY ON 12 JULY ABOUT 470 N MI
SOUTH-SOUTHWEST OF CABO SAN LUCAS. LATER THAT DAY...ENRIQUE BEGAN
TO STEADILY WEAKEN AS IT MOVED OVER COOLER WATER AND BECAME A
TROPICAL DEPRESSION LATE ON 13 JULY. THE CYCLONE TURNED WESTWARD
AND DEGENERATED INTO A REMNANT LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM ON 14 JULY AND
FINALLY DISSIPATED EARLY ON 16 JULY ABOUT 1200 N MI MILES
WEST-SOUTHWEST OF CABO SAN LUCAS.

FELICIA FORMED EARLY ON 18 JULY ABOUT 315 N MI SOUTH OF MANZANILLO.
THE CYCLONE BECAME A TROPICAL STORM SHORTLY THEREAFTER AND REACHED
ITS PEAK INTENSITY OF 45 KT LATER THAT SAME DAY.  FELICIA MOVED
WESTWARD FOR THE NEXT 7 DAYS AND WEAKENED BACK INTO A TROPICAL
DEPRESSION ON 20 JULY...AND DEGENERATED INTO A NON-CONVECTIVE LOW
PRESSURE SYSTEM ON 23 JULY ABOUT 1600 N MI WEST-SOUTHWEST OF CABO
SAN LUCAS. THE REMNANT LOW-LEVEL CIRCULATION CROSSED 140W LONGITUDE
LATER THAT DAY AND DISSIPATED ON 24 JULY ABOUT 600 N MI EAST OF THE
HAWAIIAN ISLANDS.

GUILLERMO DEVELOPED FROM A TROPICAL WAVE THAT CROSSED CENTRAL
AMERICA AND PASSED INTO THE EASTERN NORTH PACIFIC ON 1 AUGUST. A
WEAK SURFACE LOW DEVELOPED ON 6 AUGUST. THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY
BECAME BETTER ORGANIZED AND THE SYSTEM BECAME A DEPRESSION ON 7
AUGUST ABOUT 525 N MI SOUTHWEST OF CABO SAN LUCAS. THE DEPRESSION
MOVED WESTWARD AND STRENGTHENED...BECOMING A TROPICAL STORM EARLY
ON 8 AUGUST. GUILLERMO REACHED ITS PEAK INTENSITY OF 50 KT LATER
THAT DAY. ON 10 AUGUST THE CYCLONE BEGAN TO WEAKEN...AND IT BECAME
A DEPRESSION THE NEXT DAY AS ITS THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY GRADUALLY
DIMINISHED. THE CYCLONE DEGENERATED TO A REMNANT LOW ON 12
AUGUST...JUST BEFORE ENTERING THE CENTRAL PACIFIC HURRICANE
BASIN.

HILDA FORMED FROM A TROPICAL WAVE ABOUT 560 N MI SOUTH OF CABO SAN
LUCAS ON 9 AUGUST. IT MOVED TOWARD THE WEST AND WEST-NORTHWEST AND
BECAME A TROPICAL STORM WITH 35 KT WINDS LATER THAT DAY.  HILDA DID
NOT STRENGTHEN FURTHER AND BEGAN TO WEAKEN GRADUALLY ON 11 AUGUST. 
IT DISSIPATED ON 13 AUGUST ABOUT 1200 N MI WEST-SOUTWEST OF CABO
SAN LUCAS.

IGNACIO DEVELOPED FROM A TROPICAL WAVE ON 22 AUGUST ABOUT 190 N MI
SOUTHEAST OF CABO SAN LUCAS. IT MOVED SLOWLY NORTH-NORTHWESTWARD
FOR MOST OF ITS EXISTENCE. IGNACIO BECAME THE FIRST HURRICANE OF
THE 2003 EAST PACIFIC SEASON ON 24 AUGUST...THE LATEST DATE OF
FORMATION ON RECORD FOR THE FIRST HURRICANE OF THE SEASON. IT
STRENGTHENED TO 90 KT LATER THAT DAY WHILE BRUSHING THE EAST COAST
OF EXTREME SOUTHERN BAJA CALIFORNIA. THEREAFTER IT WEAKENED WHILE
MOVING OVER SOUTHERN BAJA CALIFORNIA AND DISSIPATED ON 27 AUGUST
OVER CENTRAL BAJA CALIFORNIA.  REPORTS INDICATE TWO DROWNING DEATHS
IN BAJA CALIFORNIA. ROADS...TREES...AND POWER LINES WERE DAMAGED
AND THOUSANDS WERE EVACUATED FROM COASTAL COMMUNITIES.

HURRICANE JIMENA FORMED FROM A TROPICAL WAVE ON 28 AUGUST ABOUT 1500
N MI EAST-SOUTHEAST OF THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS.  THE SYSTEM BECAME A
TROPICAL STORM LATER THAT DAY AND REACHED HURRICANE STRENGTH THE
FOLLOWING DAY.  AFTER TURNING WESTWARD AND ENTERING THE CENTRAL
PACIFIC HURRICANE BASIN...JIMENA STRENGTHENED TO ITS PEAK INTENSITY
OF 90 KT.  BY 31 AUGUST...INCREASING WIND SHEAR CAUSED JIMENA TO
BEGIN WEAKENING.  THE CYCLONE THEN MOVED WEST-SOUTHWESTWARD
AND...AFTER WEAKENING TO A TROPICAL STORM...THE CENTER PASSED ABOUT
100 N MI SOUTH OF THE SOUTHERN TIP OF THE BIG ISLAND OF HAWAII ON 1
SEPTEMBER.  JIMENA BECAME A TROPICAL DEPRESSION ABOUT A DAY LATER.  
THE CYCLONE MOVED WESTWARD TO WEST-SOUTHWESTWARD FOR A FEW DAYS
AND...JUST AFTER IT CROSSED THE DATE LINE...IT DISSIPATED ON 5
SEPTEMBER ABOUT 1500 N MI WEST-SOUTHWEST OF THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS. 
RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 6 TO 10 INCHES AND HIGH SURF WERE REPORTED ON
THE BIG ISLAND...AND WIND GUSTS NEAR 50 KT OCCURRED OVER PORTIONS
OF THE SOUTHERN HAWAIIAN ISLANDS.  NO CASUALTIES OR SIGNIFICANT
DAMAGE WERE REPORTED.

TROPICAL STORM KEVIN WAS A SHORT-LIVED TROPICAL CYCLONE THAT
DEVELOPED AS A BROAD DEPRESSION EARLY ON 3 SEPTEMBER ABOUT 245 N MI
SOUTHWEST OF CABO SAN LUCAS. KEVIN FORMED AT A FAIRLY HIGH
LATITUDE...WHICH RESULTED IN A RATHER SHORT LIFE CYCLE. THE CYCLONE
MOVED NORTHWESTWARD PARALLEL TO THE BAJA CALIFORNIA PENINSULA AND
BECAME A TROPICAL STORM LATE ON 4 SEPTEMBER. THE CLOSE PROXIMITY TO
COLD WATER CAUSED KEVIN TO QUICKLY WEAKEN AND IT AGAIN BECAME A
DEPRESSION EARLY ON 5 SEPTEMBER...AND GRADUALLY DEGENERATED INTO A
REMNANT LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM LATER THAT DAY ABOUT 500 N MI
WEST OF CABO SAN LUCAS. THE REMNANT CIRCULATION MOVED SLOWLY
WESTWARD FOR SEVERAL DAYS BEFORE IT FINALLY DISSIPATED ON THE 10TH
ABOUT 365 N MI WEST OF CABO SAN LUCAS.

HURRICANE LINDA FORMED FROM A TROPICAL WAVE THAT CROSSED INTO THE
PACIFIC ON 6 SEPTEMBER. THE WAVE SPAWNED A TROPICAL DEPRESSION ON 14
SEPTEMBER ABOUT 340 N MI SOUTHWEST OF MANZANILLO.  THE CYCLONE MOVED
NORTHWESTWARD FOR THE NEXT TWO DAYS.  IT BECAME A TROPICAL STORM
LATER ON 14 SEPTEMBER AND A HURRICANE THE NEXT DAY.  LINDA TURNED
WESTWARD AND WEAKENED TO A TROPICAL STORM ON 16 SEPTEMBER...THEN IT
TURNED SOUTHWESTWARD AND WEAKENED TO A DEPRESSION ON 17 SEPTEMBER.
THE CYCLONE WEAKENED TO A REMNANT LOW LATER THAT DAY ABOUT 445 N MI
WEST-SOUTHWEST OF CABO SAN LUCAS.

MARTY BECAME A TROPICAL DEPRESSION ON 18 SEPTEMBER ABOUT 450 N MI
SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF CABO SAN LUCAS. IT QUICKLY STRENGTHENED INTO A
TROPICAL STORM AS IT MOVED SLOWLY TO THE WEST-NORTHWEST. MARTY
TURNED TO THE NORTHWEST AND BECAME A HURRICANE ON 21 SEPTEMBER
ABOUT 265 N MI SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF CABO SAN LUCAS. MARTY THEN MOVED
NORTHWARD TOWARD THE SOUTHERN BAJA PENINSULA...MAKING LANDFALL JUST
EAST OF CABO SAN LUCAS ON 22 SEPTEMBER WITH MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS
ESTIMATED TO BE 85 KT. MARTY THEN MOVED UP THE EAST COAST OF THE
BAJA CALIFORNIA PENINSULA...WEAKENING TO A TROPICAL STORM NEAR
SANTA ROSALIA ON THE FOLLOWING DAY. MARTY CONTINUED UP THE GULF OF
CALIFORNIA AND WEAKENED FURTHER...BECOMING A TROPICAL DEPRESSION
LATE ON 22 SEPTEMBER IN THE NORTHERN GULF OF CALIFORNIA. MARTY THEN
MEANDERED IN AND AROUND THE NORTHERN GULF OF CALIFORNIA WITH HEAVY
RAINS BUT NOT MUCH WIND...MAKING ONE LANDFALL ON 24 SEPTEMBER NEAR
PUERTO PANASCO ON THE MAINLAND...AND ANOTHER ONE ON 25 SEPTEMBER
SOUTH OF SAN FELIPE ON THE BAJA PENINSULA. THE CIRCULATION
DISSIPATED SHORTLY AFTER THE LATTER LANDFALL. MARTY WAS RESPONSIBLE
FOR 12 DEATHS...INCLUDING TWO INDIVIDUALS LISTED AS MISSING BUT
PRESUMED DEAD. MEDIA REPORTS INDICATE DAMAGE TO ABOUT 4000 HOMES IN
SOUTHERN BAJA CALIFORNIA.

NORA FORMED ON 1 OCTOBER ABOUT 525 N MI SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF CABO SAN
LUCAS ON THE SOUTHERN TIP OF BAJA CALIFORNIA AND MOVED VERY SLOWLY
TOWARD THE WEST AND WEST-NORTHWEST WITH GRADUAL INTENSIFICATION FOR
THE NEXT FEW DAYS. IT BECAME A TROPICAL STORM ON 2 OCTOBER AND
REACHED HURRICANE STATUS EARLY ON 4 OCTOBER...REACHING ITS PEAK
INTENSITY OF 90 KT LATER ON THAT DAY.  ON 6 OCTOBER...NORA BEGAN
TO WEAKEN AS IT TURNED SHARPLY TO THE EAST AND THEN NORTHEAST. IT
REACH THE COAST OF MEXICO ON 9 OCTOBER IN THE STATE OF CULIACAN JUST
NORTH OF MAZATLAN AND DISSIPATED OVER THE HIGH TERRAIN.

OLAF ORIGINATED AS A TROPICAL DEPRESSION ON 3 OCTOBER ABOUT 315 N MI
SOUTH OF ACAPULCO MEXICO.  IT STRENGTHENED TO A TROPICAL STORM
LATER THAT DAY WHILE MOVING SLOWLY NORTHWESTWARD.  THIS MOTION
CONTINUED FOR TWO DAYS WHILE THE STORM SLOWLY STRENGTHENED TO A
65-KNOT HURRICANE.  THE HURRICANE TURNED NORTHWARD ON 6 OCTOBER AND
WEAKENED SOME.  OLAF MADE LANDFALL EARLY ON THE NEXT DAY NEAR
MANZANILLO WITH WINDS ESTIMATED AT 50 KT.  THE STORM DISSIPATED
INLAND OVER THE HIGH TERRAIN OF THE MEXICAN STATE OF NAYARIT ON 8
OCTOBER.  THERE WERE HEAVY RAINS OVER SOUTHWESTERN MEXICO BUT NO
REPORTS OF DEATHS.

PATRICIA DEVELOPED ABOUT 400 N MI SOUTH OF ACAPULCO ON 20 OCTOBER 
AND QUICKLY INTENSIFIED INTO A TROPICAL STORM LATER THAT DAY.  IT
MOVED WEST-NORTHWESTWARD TO NORTHWESTWARD AND STRENGTHENED INTO A
HURRICANE ON 21 OCTOBER WHILE LOCATED ABOUT 600 N MI SOUTH OF
MANZANILLO.  PATRICIA WEAKENED TO A TROPICAL STORM THE NEXT DAY
AND...ASIDE FROM SOME SLIGHT RESTRENGTHENING ON 24 OCTOBER...SLOWLY
WEAKENED OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS.  THE SYSTEM DISSIPATED ON 26
OCTOBER ABOUT 525 N MI SOUTHWEST OF CABO SAN LUCAS.


SUMMARY TABLE - 2003

NAME           DATES            MAX WIND - KT      DEATHS
-----------------------------------------------------------
TS ANDRES      19-25 MAY             50               
TS BLANCA      17-22 JUNE            55               
TS CARLOS      26-27 JUNE            55               
TS DOLORES     6-8 JULY              35               
TS ENRIQUE     10-13 JULY            55               
TS FELICIA     17-23 JULY            45               
TS GUILLERMO   7-12 AUG              50               
TS HILDA       9-13 AUG              35               
H  IGNACIO     22-27 AUG             90               2
H  JIMENA      28 AUG-5 SEP          90               
TS KEVIN       3-5  SEP              35               
H  LINDA       14-17 SEP             65               
H  MARTY       18-24 SEP             85              12
H  NORA        1-9  OCT              90               
H  OLAF        3-8  OCT              65               
H  PATRICIA    20-26 OCT             70               
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NOTE...DATES ARE BASED ON UNIVERSAL COORDINATED TIME...UTC


FORECASTER AVILA/BEVEN/FRANKLIN/LAWRENCE/PASCH/STEWART