How Long Can the Tropical Storm Drought Last?

The uncanny silence across the Atlantic Ocean has many folks scratching their heads these days. Tropical storms and hurricanes always seem to make their active presence known during the first week of September, but it's different this time, and meteorologists are now adjusting their forecasts.

A tropical stormless streak in the United States seems rather odd. A new named storm has not developed between Aug. 13 and Sept. 3.; that's the first time in 56 years this phenomenon has occurred.

If zero develops by Sept. 11, you can mark this date as the longest streak without a named storm during hurricane season since 1960!

So what's going on up there in the atmosphere, you wonder?

Weather experts say it's meteorologically complicated and believe five factors could be creating this temporary lull.

1. La Niña's Delayed Appearance?