|NOAA > NWS > CPHC > FAQ > Tropical Cyclone Climatology Tropical
Cyclone Climatology 1. When is hurricane season ? The Atlantic
hurricane season is officially from 1 June to 30 November. There
is nothing magical in these dates, and hurricanes have occurred
outside of these six months, but these dates were selected to
encompass over 97% of tropical activity. The Atlantic basin
shows a very peaked season from August through October, with 78%
of the tropical storm days, 87% of the minor (Saffir-Simpson
Scale categories 1 and 2) hurricane days, and 96% of the major
(Saffir-Simpson categories 3, 4 and 5) hurricane days occurring
then (Landsea 1993). Maximum activity is in early to mid
September. Once in a few years there may be a tropical cyclone
occurring out of season - primarily in May or December. (For
more detailed information, see "What is my chance of having a
tropical storm or hurricane strike by each month?") The
Northeast Pacific basin has a broader peak with activity
beginning in late May or early June