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Timeline of the 2015 Pacific hurricane season

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Timeline of the
2015 Pacific hurricane season
Season summary map
Season boundaries
First system formedMay 28, 2015
Last system dissipatedDecember 31, 2015
(record latest)
Strongest system
NamePatricia
(Most intense hurricane in the Western Hemisphere)
Maximum winds215 mph (345 km/h)
(1-minute sustained)
Lowest pressure872 mbar (hPa; 25.75 inHg)
Longest lasting system
NameJimena
Duration14.75 days
Storm articles
Other years
2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017

The 2015 Pacific hurricane season was the second-most active Pacific hurricane season on record,[1] and featured the strongest tropical cyclone ever observed in the Western Hemisphere: Hurricane Patricia. The season officially started on May 15 in the Eastern Pacific—east of 140°W—and on June 1 in the Central Pacific—between the International Date Line and 140°W—and ended on November 30. These dates typically cover the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Northeastern Pacific tropical cyclone basin.[2] The season's first storm, Hurricane Andres, developed on May 28; the season's final storm, Tropical Depression Nine-C, dissipated on December 31, well after the official end of the season.

Throughout the season, 31 tropical depressions developed, 26 of which became tropical storms, a record-tying 16 of them reached hurricane strength, and a record-breaking 11 achieved major hurricane intensity.[nb 1] Activity in the Central Pacific shattered records, with 16 tropical cyclones forming in or entering the basin; the previous highest was 11 during the 1992 and 1994 seasons.[4] On August 30, three hurricanes at Category 4 strength—Ignacio, Jimena, and Kilo—existed simultaneously in the Northeastern Pacific, which was a first for the basin.[5] On October 23, Hurricane Patricia became the strongest hurricane ever recorded in the Western Hemisphere, with a minimum atmospheric pressure of 872 mbar (hPa; 25.75 inHg) and maximum sustained winds of 215 mph (345 km/h). Activity in the basin was boosted by the strong 2014–16 El Niño event, which brought anomalously high sea surface temperatures and low vertical wind shear that helped the numerous systems form and intensify.[6][7]

Four time zones are utilized in the basin: Central for storms east of 106.0°W, Mountain from 106.0°W to 114.9°W, Pacific from 115.0°W to 140.0°W,[8] and Hawaii–Aleutian for storms between the International Date Line and 140°W.[9] However, for convenience, all information is listed by Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) first with the respective local time included in parentheses. This timeline includes information that was not operationally released, meaning that data from post-storm reviews by the National Hurricane Center and Central Pacific Hurricane Center are included. This timeline documents tropical cyclone formations, strengthening, weakening, landfalls, extratropical transitions, and dissipations during the season.

Timeline

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Hurricane Sandra (2015)Hurricane PatriciaHurricane Marty (2015)Hurricane Linda (2015)Hurricane Dolores (2015)Typhoon HalolaHurricane Carlos (2015)Hurricane Blanca (2015)Saffir–Simpson scale

May

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May 15

  • The 2015 Pacific hurricane season officially begins.[2]

May 28

May 29

May 30

May 31

June

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June 1

Satellite image of Hurricane Andres on June 1
Hurricane Andres shortly after peak intensity on June 1

June 2

June 3

Visible satellite imagery of intense Hurricane Blanca with a pinhole eye on June 3
Hurricane Blanca near peak intensity on June 3

June 4

June 5

June 6

June 7

June 8

Satellite image of a disorganized, weakening Tropical Depression Blanca over land on June 8
Tropical Depression Blanca weakening over the Baja California Peninsula on June 8

June 9

June 10

June 11

June 13

Satellite image of small but well-defined Hurricane Carlos south of Mexico on June 13
Hurricane Carlos at peak intensity on June 13

June 15

June 16

June 17

July

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July 8

refer to caption
Tracks of Tropical Storms Halola (left), Iune (center), and Ela (right) across the Central Pacific basin during July; the Hawaiian islands are shown in the middle of the map.

July 10

July 11

July 12

Map plotting the track and intensity of Tropical Storm Enrique according to the Saffir–Simpson scale
Path of Tropical Storm Enrique in the open Pacific Ocean

July 13

July 14

July 15

July 16

Satellite image of Hurricane Dolores with a large, cloud-filled eye on June 16
A weakening Hurricane Dolores southwest of the Baja California Peninsula on July 16

July 17

July 18

July 23

July 24

July 27

July 29

July 30

July 31

Satellite image of Hurricane Guillermo at peak intensity despite lacking a distinct eye
Hurricane Guillermo at peak strength on July 31

August

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August 2

August 3

August 6

August 7

August 8

Map plotting the track and intensity of Hurricane Hilda according to the Saffir–Simpson scale
Path of Hurricane Hilda across the Central Pacific. Briefly threatening the Hawaiian Islands, Hilda eventually weakened and turned away on August 12.

August 9

August 10

August 12

August 13

August 14

August 16

Map plotting the track and intensity of Tropical Depression Eleven-E according to the Saffir–Simpson scale
Path of Tropical Depression Eleven-E paralleling the west coast of Mexico

August 18

August 21

August 22

August 23

August 24

August 25

Satellite image of two systems on August 25: Hurricane Loke to the north and the weaker Tropical Depression Kilo to the south
Hurricane Loke (top) and Tropical Depression Kilo (bottom) on August 25

August 26

August 27

August 28

August 29

August 30

refer to caption
Hurricanes Kilo (left), Ignacio (center), and Jimena (right) at major hurricane strength on August 30. This was the first time that three such systems existed simultaneously over the Pacific Ocean east of the International Date Line since reliable records began.[5]

August 31

September

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September 1

September 2

September 3

Satellite image of Tropical Storm Kevin on August 4
Tropical Storm Kevin holding its intensity on September 4

September 4

September 5

September 6

September 7

September 8

Visible satellite imagery of an small yet intense Hurricane Linda on September 8
Hurricane Linda at Category 3 strength on September 8

September 9

September 10

September 18

September 20

refer to caption
The nascent Tropical Depression Sixteen-E on September 20. The system's rainbands already cover Baja California Sur and extend into the Gulf of California.

September 21

September 22

September 25

Satellite image of a weak but intensifying Tropical Storm Niala on September 25
Tropical Storm Niala shortly after being named on September 25

September 26

September 27

September 28

September 29

September 30

October

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October 3

October 4

October 6

Satellite image of Hurricane Oho with a small, cloud-filled eye on October 6, with a large mass of clouds extending to the north of the hurricane.
Hurricane Oho intensifying on October 6. The trough that steered the system northeast can be seen north of the hurricane.

October 7

October 8

October 9

October 10

October 11

  • 06:00 UTC (8:00 p.m. HST, October 10) – Tropical Storm Nora crosses west of 140°W and enters the Central Pacific basin.[36]

October 12

October 14

October 15

Map plotting the track and intensity of Hurricane Olaf according to the Saffir–Simpson scale
Storm path of Hurricane Olaf, which traversed the Eastern and Central Pacific basins from October 15–27.

October 17

October 18

October 19

October 20

October 21

October 22

October 23

Satellite image of an extremely intense Hurricane Patricia on September 23, sporting a pinhole eye and a symmetric central dense overcast
Hurricane Patricia approaching Western Mexico at Category 5 strength on October 23. Just minutes after this picture was taken, hurricane hunters observed the Western Hemisphere then-record-low pressure of 879 mbar (hPa; 25.96 inHg), but post-storm analysis concluded that the peak intensity had occurred several hours earlier.

October 24

October 25

October 26

October 27

November

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November 18

November 19

November 22

November 23

Map plotting the track and intensity of Hurricane Sandra according to the Saffir–Simpson scale
Path of Hurricane Sandra in late November

November 24

November 25

November 26

November 27

November 28

November 30

  • The 2015 Pacific hurricane season officially ends.[2]

December

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December 31

January 2016

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January 1

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ A major hurricane is a storm that ranks as Category 3 or higher on the Saffir–Simpson hurricane wind scale.[3]
  2. ^ The figures for maximum sustained winds and position estimates are rounded to the nearest five units (knots, miles, or kilometers), following the convention used in the National Hurricane Center's operational products for each storm. All other units are rounded to the nearest digit.

References

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  1. ^ Kieran Hickey (August 2016). "A review of the 2015 hurricane, tropical cyclone and typhoon season". International Journal of Meteorology. 41 (398): 162–167. Retrieved March 3, 2019.
  2. ^ a b c Neal Dorst (June 2, 2016). "TCFAQ G1) When is hurricane season?". Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory. Archived from the original on May 6, 2009. Retrieved July 24, 2018.
  3. ^ Stan Goldenberg (June 1, 2017). "TCFAQ A3) What is a super-typhoon? What is a major hurricane? What is an intense hurricane?". Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory. Archived from the original on April 26, 2014. Retrieved May 24, 2018.
  4. ^ Tropical Weather Summary for the Central North Pacific (Report). Honolulu, Hawaii: Central Pacific Hurricane Center. January 1, 2016. Archived from the original on April 2, 2019. Retrieved March 2, 2019.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Thomas Birchard (October 10, 2018). Hurricane Kilo (PDF) (Report). Tropical Cyclone Report. Honolulu, Hawaii: Central Pacific Hurricane Center. Retrieved June 9, 2019.
  6. ^ Lixion A. Avila (February 26, 2016). 2015 Eastern North Pacific Hurricane Season (PDF) (Report). Annual Summary. Miami, Florida: National Hurricane Center. Retrieved March 2, 2019.
  7. ^ Chris Brenchley (December 18, 2015). Historic Hurricane Season – 2015 Summary for the Central Pacific Basin (PDF) (Report). Honolulu, Hawaii: Central Pacific Hurricane Center. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 2, 2019. Retrieved March 2, 2019.
  8. ^ Robbie Berg (May 28, 2015). Tropical Depression One-E Discussion Number 1 (Report). Miami, Florida: National Hurricane Center. Retrieved June 27, 2015.
  9. ^ "About the Central Pacific Hurricane Center". National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved August 18, 2019.
  10. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Michael J. Brennan (August 6, 2015). Hurricane Andres (PDF) (Report). Tropical Cyclone Report. Miami, Florida: National Hurricane Center. Retrieved December 6, 2015.
  11. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t Richard J. Pasch & David P. Roberts (November 30, 2015). Hurricane Blanca (PDF) (Report). Tropical Cyclone Report. Miami, Florida: National Hurricane Center. Retrieved December 8, 2015.
  12. ^ a b Jeff Masters (June 8, 2015). "Tropical Storm Blanca Hits Baja a Month Earlier Than Their Previous Earliest Landfall". Weather Underground. Retrieved September 25, 2019.
  13. ^ a b c d e f g h i j John L. Beven II & Christopher W. Landsea (October 27, 2015). Hurricane Carlos (PDF) (Report). Tropical Cyclone Report. Miami, Florida: National Hurricane Center. Retrieved December 8, 2015.
  14. ^ a b c d e Stacy R. Stewart; Thomas Birchard (October 17, 2016). Tropical Storm Ela (PDF) (Report). Tropical Cyclone Report. Honolulu, Hawaii: Central Pacific Hurricane Center. Retrieved November 20, 2016.
  15. ^ a b c d Derek Wroe (July 9, 2017). Tropical Storm Halola (PDF) (Report). Tropical Cyclone Report. Honolulu, Hawaii: Central Pacific Hurricane Center. Retrieved June 9, 2019.
  16. ^ a b c d Christopher Jacobson (April 16, 2018). Tropical Storm Iune (PDF) (Report). Tropical Cyclone Report. Honolulu, Hawaii: Central Pacific Hurricane Center. Retrieved June 9, 2019.
  17. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Todd B. Kimberlain (October 27, 2015). Hurricane Dolores (PDF) (Report). Tropical Cyclone Report. Miami, Florida: National Hurricane Center. Retrieved December 8, 2015.
  18. ^ a b c d e Daniel P. Brown (September 16, 2015). Tropical Storm Enrique (PDF) (Report). Tropical Cyclone Report. Miami, Florida: National Hurricane Center. Retrieved December 8, 2015.
  19. ^ a b c d John P. Cangialosi (September 3, 2015). Tropical Storm Felicia (PDF) (Report). Tropical Cyclone Report. Miami, Florida: National Hurricane Center. Retrieved December 8, 2015.
  20. ^ a b Robbie Berg (September 9, 2015). Tropical Depression Eight-E (PDF) (Report). Tropical Cyclone Report. Miami, Florida: National Hurricane Center. Retrieved December 9, 2015.
  21. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Lixion A. Avila (September 29, 2015). Hurricane Guillermo (PDF) (Report). Tropical Cyclone Report. Miami, Florida: National Hurricane Center. Retrieved December 8, 2015.
  22. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Eric S. Blake (October 29, 2015). Hurricane Hilda (PDF) (Report). Tropical Cyclone Report. Miami, Florida: National Hurricane Center. Retrieved December 9, 2015.
  23. ^ a b Richard J. Pasch (February 16, 2016). Tropical Depression Eleven-E (PDF) (Report). Tropical Cyclone Report. Miami, Florida: National Hurricane Center. Retrieved February 27, 2016.
  24. ^ a b c d e f g h Derek Wroe (August 1, 2017). Hurricane Loke (PDF) (Report). Tropical Cyclone Report. Honolulu, Hawaii: Central Pacific Hurricane Center. Retrieved June 9, 2019.
  25. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n John L. Beven II; Christopher Jacobson (August 17, 2018). Hurricane Ignacio (PDF) (Report). Tropical Cyclone Report. Miami, Florida and Honolulu, Hawaii: National Hurricane Center. Retrieved August 21, 2018.
  26. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Stacy R. Stewart; Jeffrey Powell (February 4, 2016). Hurricane Jimena (PDF) (Report). Tropical Cyclone Report. Miami, Florida: National Hurricane Center. Retrieved February 9, 2016.
  27. ^ a b c d e Todd B. Kimberlain (November 28, 2015). Tropical Storm Kevin (PDF) (Report). Tropical Cyclone Report. Miami, Florida: National Hurricane Center. Retrieved December 9, 2015.
  28. ^ a b c d e f g h i Daniel P. Brown (November 12, 2015). Hurricane Linda (PDF) (Report). Tropical Cyclone Report. Miami, Florida: National Hurricane Center. Retrieved December 9, 2015.
  29. ^ a b c d Jon Jelsema (June 1, 2016). Tropical Storm Malia (PDF) (Report). Tropical Cyclone Report. Honolulu, Hawaii: Central Pacific Hurricane Center. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 20, 2018. Retrieved June 20, 2018.
  30. ^ a b c d e John P. Cangialosi (January 11, 2016). Tropical Depression Sixteen-E (PDF) (Report). Tropical Cyclone Report. Miami, Florida: National Hurricane Center. Retrieved January 14, 2016.
  31. ^ a b c d e Sam Houston; Thomas Birchard (November 16, 2016). Tropical Storm Niala (Report). Tropical Cyclone Report. Honolulu, Hawaii: Central Pacific Hurricane Center. Archived from the original on February 4, 2019. Retrieved January 8, 2017.
  32. ^ a b c d e f Robbie Berg (January 5, 2016). Hurricane Marty (PDF) (Report). Tropical Cyclone Report. Miami, Florida: National Hurricane Center. Retrieved January 15, 2016.
  33. ^ a b c d e f g Sam Houston; Derek Wroe (November 21, 2016). Hurricane Oho (Report). Tropical Cyclone Report. Honolulu, Hawaii: Central Pacific Hurricane Center. Archived from the original on September 4, 2018. Retrieved December 23, 2016.
  34. ^ Thomas Birchard (October 3, 2015). Tropical Depression Seven-C Discussion Number 1 (Report). Honolulu, Hawaii: Central Pacific hurricane Center. Archived from the original on July 18, 2018. Retrieved October 3, 2015.
  35. ^ a b Christopher Jacobson (October 10, 2017). Tropical Depression Eight-C (PDF) (Report). Tropical Cyclone Report. Honolulu, Hawaii: Central Pacific Hurricane Center. Retrieved June 9, 2019.
  36. ^ a b c d e f Lixion A. Avila (December 8, 2015). Tropical Storm Nora (PDF) (Report). Tropical Cyclone Report. Miami, Florida: National Hurricane Center. Retrieved December 9, 2015.
  37. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Eric S. Blake; Jon Jelsema (February 9, 2016). Hurricane Olaf (PDF) (Report). Tropical Cyclone Report. Miami, Florida: National Hurricane Center. Retrieved May 7, 2016.
  38. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Todd B. Kimberlain; Eric S. Blake & John P. Cangialosi (February 4, 2016). Hurricane Patricia (PDF) (Report). Tropical Cyclone Report. Miami, Florida: National Hurricane Center. Retrieved February 9, 2016.
  39. ^ Eric S. Blake & Stacy R. Stewart (October 24, 2015). Hurricane Patricia Advisory Number 17 (Advisory). Miami, Florida: National Hurricane Center. Retrieved February 9, 2016.
  40. ^ a b c d John L. Beven II (January 20, 2016). Tropical Storm Rick (PDF) (Report). Tropical Cyclone Report. Miami, Florida: National Hurricane Center. Retrieved February 9, 2016.
  41. ^ a b c d e f g h i j John L. Beven II (January 29, 2016). Hurricane Sandra (PDF) (Report). Tropical Cyclone Report. Miami, Florida: National Hurricane Center. Retrieved February 9, 2016.
  42. ^ a b Sam Houston; Thomas Birchard (December 22, 2016). Tropical Depression Nine-C (Report). Tropical Cyclone Report. Honolulu, Hawaii: Central Pacific Hurricane Center. Archived from the original on July 27, 2018. Retrieved January 8, 2017.
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