Timeline of the 2018 Pacific hurricane season

The 2018 Pacific hurricane season was an event in the annual cycle of tropical cyclone formation, in which tropical cyclones form in the eastern Pacific Ocean. The season officially started on May 15 in the eastern Pacific—east of 140°W—and began on June 1 in the central Pacific—the region 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 eastern Pacific basin.[1] The season began with the formation of Tropical Depression One-E, which developed on May 10, and ended with the dissipation of the season's final storm, Tropical Storm Xavier, which dissipated as a tropical cyclone on November 5.

Timeline of the
2018 Pacific hurricane season
A map of the tracks of all the storms of the 2018 Pacific hurricane season.
Season summary map
Season boundaries
First system formedMay 10, 2018
Last system dissipatedNovember 5, 2018
Strongest system
NameWalaka
Maximum winds160 mph (260 km/h)
(1-minute sustained)
Lowest pressure921 mbar (hPa; 27.2 inHg)
Longest lasting system
NameSergio
Duration13.50 days
Storm articles
Other years
2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020

The 2018 hurricane season was exceptionally active and featured the highest Accumulated Cyclone Energy since reliable records began in 1971.[2] Throughout the season, 26 tropical depressions developed, 23 of which became tropical storms. A total of 13 tropical storms reached hurricane strength, and 10 hurricanes achieved major hurricane intensity.[3][nb 1] The basin saw above-average activity across all regions from the International Date Line to the west coast of Mexico and Central America. Activity peaked from early August to early October, with several long-lived and powerful hurricanes developing in that time period. Several storms severely affected land, such as Hurricane Lane in Hawaii and Hurricane Willa in Mexico. In contrast to the similarly active 2015 Pacific hurricane season, 2018 was not significantly influenced by the El Niño–Southern Oscillation. Instead, low pressures and increased sea surface temperatures associated with the Pacific Meridional Mode supported the development of these intense and long-lived storms.[2]

Four time zones are utilized in the basin: Central for storms east of 106°W, Mountain between 114.9°W and 106°W, Pacific between 140°W and 115°W,[4] and Hawaii–Aleutian for storms between the International Date Line and 140°W.[5] However, for convenience, all information is listed in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) first with the respective local time included in parentheses. This timeline includes information that was not released while the storm was active, meaning that data from post-storm reviews by the National Hurricane Center is included. This timeline documents the formation of tropical cyclones as well as the strengthening, weakening, landfalls, extratropical transitions, and dissipations during the season.

Timeline of events

Hurricane WillaTropical Storm Vicente (2018)Hurricane WalakaHurricane Sergio (2018)Hurricane Rosa (2018)Tropical Depression Nineteen-E (2018)Hurricane Olivia (2018)Hurricane Lane (2018)Tropical Storm Ileana (2018)Hurricane Hector (2018)Tropical Storm Carlotta (2018)Hurricane Bud (2018)Saffir–Simpson scale

May

Tropical Depression One-E several hours after being classified as a tropical cyclone on May 10

May 10

May 11

May 15

  • The 2018 Eastern Pacific hurricane season officially begins.[1]

June

June 1

Aletta as a Category 4 hurricane on June 8
  • The 2018 Central Pacific hurricane season officially begins.[1]

June 6

June 7

June 8

June 9

June 10

Hurricane Bud intensifying off the coast of Mexico on June 11

June 11

June 12

June 13

Tropical Storm Carlotta paralleling the coast of Mexico on June 16

June 14

June 15

June 17

June 19

Tropical Storm Daniel on June 24 at peak intensity

June 24

June 25

June 26

June 27

June 28

June 29

June 30

July

July 1

Hurricane Fabio near peak intensity on July 3

July 2

July 3

July 4

July 5

July 6

July 26

July 27

Tropical Storm Gilma's path across the Eastern Pacific Ocean from July 26–29

July 28

  • 00:00 UTC (5:00 p.m. PDT, July 27) – Tropical Depression Nine-E dissipates roughly 1,210 miles (1,945 km) southeast of Hilo, Hawaii.[16]

July 29

July 31

August

August 1

August 2

August 3

August 4

Tropical Storm Ileana near peak intensity off the western coast of Mexico on August 5

August 5

August 6

August 7

August 8

August 9

August 10

Hector as a high-end Category 4 hurricane on August 6

August 11

August 12

August 13

August 15

August 17

August 18

August 19

Hurricane Lane at Category 5 intensity early on August 22

August 21

August 22

August 24

August 25

August 26

August 27

August 28

Hurricane Norman peaking as a Category 4 hurricane on August 30

August 29

August 30

August 31

September

September 1

The unclassified tropical or subtropical cyclone near the International Dateline on September 2

September 2

September 3

September 4

September 5

Hurricane Olivia as a high-end Category 3 hurricane on September 6

September 6

September 7

September 8

September 9

September 10

  • 12:00 UTC (2:00 a.m. HST) – Norman dissipates over 860 miles (1,385 km) north-northeast of Hilo, Hawaii.[23]

September 11

September 12

Animated infrared satellite imagery of Tropical Storm Olivia making landfalls on Maui and Lanai, Hawaii, on September 12

September 13

September 14

September 19

Path of Tropical Depression Nineteen-E across the Gulf of California from September 19–20

September 20

September 25

September 26

September 27

September 28

Hurricane Rosa as a Category 4 hurricane on September 28

September 29

September 30

October

October 1

October 2

Hurricane Walaka at Category 5 intensity while southwest of the Hawaiian Islands

October 4

October 5

October 6

October 7

October 8

October 9

Path of Hurricane Sergio across the Eastern Pacific Ocean from September 29 – October 12

October 12

October 13

  • 00:00 UTC (6:00 p.m. MDT, October 12) – Tropical Depression Sergio dissipates inland over Mexico.[34]

October 14

October 15

October 16

October 19

October 20

Hurricane Willa at its peak intensity on October 22 just southwest of Mexico

October 21

October 22

October 23

October 24

November

Tropical Storm Xavier at its peak intensity near western Mexico on November 4

November 2

November 3

November 4

November 6

November 30

  • The 2018 Pacific hurricane season officially ends.[1]

Notes

See also

References

External links