Hurricane Aftermath and New Threats in the Atlantic

As west-central Florida assesses the aftermath of Hurricane Milton and the Southeast U.S. continues recovery from Helene, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) is monitoring potential storm Nadine.

Forecasters had been watching a developing system off the east coast of Florida, but it dissipated before becoming Tropical Storm Nadine. Now, attention has shifted to a system in the east tropical Atlantic Ocean, a couple of hundred miles west of the Cabo Verde Islands. This system is moving westward and could develop into a tropical depression with a 40% chance of formation over the next seven days, according to the NHC.

Despite this, the tropics near the U.S. could be quiet for most of next week, AccuWeather forecasters say. They forecast a medium risk of tropical development from Thursday, Oct. 17, to Saturday, Oct. 19, in the western Caribbean, where Helene and Milton formed.

A gyre, an area of spinning air currents, is expected to form over Central America next week. "From this large, slowly spinning area of low pressure, a more distinct area of showers and thunderstorms may form, and from that, a tropical depression or tropical storm may evolve," AccuWeather lead hurricane Expert Alex DaSilva said in the forecast.

Tropical Storm Leslie Update

Designated as a tropical storm on Oct. 2, Leslie strengthened into Hurricane Leslie then weakened again on Thursday into a tropical storm. On Saturday, the National Hurricane Center said Leslie – about 975 miles west-southwest of the Azores – had degenerated into a trough and posed no threat to the U.S. The storm is producing maximum sustained winds near 50 mph, with higher gusts, and is expected to gradually weaken over the next couple of days, the NHC said.

Tropical Storm Leslie Path Tracker

Tropical Storm Leslie Spaghetti Models

Illustrations include an array of forecast tools and models, and not all are created equal. The hurricane center uses only the top four or five highest-performing models to help make its forecasts.

2024 Hurricane Season Ends Nov. 30

With more than seven weeks left in the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June 1 through Nov. 30, 13 named storms have occurred so far. The next storms to form will be named Nadine and Oscar. After a relatively quiet period, the 2024 season – especially with the arrival of Helene and Milton – has become above-average, according to Colorado State University meteorologist Phil Klotzbach.

Having generated 127 on the Accumulated Cyclone Energy (ACE) index, a metric that includes storm frequency, intensity, and duration, the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season ranks as "officially meeting NOAA's definition of an above-normal season," Klotzbach said on X Wednesday.

Contributing: Natalie Neysa Alund, Max Hauptman, Laura Lordi, Samantha Neely, Doyle Rice and Jennifer Sangalang.

Follow Mike Snider on X and Threads: @mikesnider & mikegsnider .

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