At a Glance

A tropical wave will likely develop in the northwestern Caribbean. A disturbance in the open Atlantic have a low chance of development.

Tropical Storm Gamma was only the first sign of life in the tropics following a slumber in late September. Two other areas in the Caribbean and the open Atlantic are now being watched for development.

Potential tropical cyclone 26 has been designated in the Caribbean. For the latest on this Gulf Coast hurricane threat, .

October Typically Sees a Shift Closer to Home

With the change in the seasons and the cooling of temperatures, we start to see less tropical activity in the open Atlantic.

Even though the climatological peak of the hurricane season – Sept. 10 – has passed, residents along the Gulf and East coasts need to remain prepared for a hurricane.

Roughly one-fifth of all U.S. hurricane landfalls have occurred in October and November.

(MORE: What the Busiest Hurricane Seasons Have Delivered in October)

Tropical waves begin to weaken and become less impressive while North American cold fronts begin to dip their toes into the Gulf of Mexico, providing additional sources for tropical activity.

The Central American Gyre (or CAG) develops in October, a large, broad low pressure system that hovers over Central America. The CAG spins off tropical depressions and tropical storms into the Caribbean and eastern Pacific on occasion. Those systems typically move north and eastward toward Cuba and Florida.

The cold fronts occasionally spawn tropical systems in the Atlantic, which are typically swiftly moved away from the United States.

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