Timeline of the 2020 Pacific hurricane season

The 2020 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 according to the National Hurricane Center.[nb 1][1] However, tropical cyclones sometimes form outside the bounds of an official season, as was evidenced by the formation of Tropical Depression One-E on April 25. The season effectively ended with the dissipation of its final storm, Tropical Storm Polo, on November 19.

Timeline of the
2020 Pacific hurricane season
A map of all tropical cyclones during the 2020 Pacific hurricane season
Season summary map
Season boundaries
First system formedApril 25, 2020
Last system dissipatedNovember 19, 2020
Strongest system
NameMarie
Maximum winds140 mph (220 km/h)
(1-minute sustained)
Lowest pressure945 mbar (hPa; 27.91 inHg)
Longest lasting system
NameDouglas
Duration8 days
Storm articles
Other years
2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022

The formation of One-E on April 25 marked the earliest start to a Pacific hurricane season on record. However, seasonal activity as a whole was generally below average. The season featured 16 named storms, in line with the 1981–2010 long-term average of 15. It featured just four hurricanes, or half the average. Three of those hurricanes intensified into major hurricanes,[nb 2] which compares to the average of four. A few storms produced substantial impact to land in 2020. In May, Tropical Storm Amanda caused widespread damage and killed numerous people in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras.[3] In August, the remnants of Tropical Storm Fausto sparked devastating wildfires across Northern California,[4] while Genevieve produced hurricane-force winds and caused additional fatalities in the Baja California peninsula.[5] Lesser but still deadly effects were produced there by Tropical Storm Hernan as well.[6] A month prior, Hurricane Douglas passed very close to Oahu, though it caused only minor impact.[7]

This timeline documents tropical cyclone formations, strengthening, weakening, landfalls, extratropical transitions, and dissipations during the season. It includes information that was not released throughout the season, meaning that data from post-storm reviews by the National Hurricane Center, such as a storm that was not initially warned upon, has been included.

By convention, meteorologists use one time zone when issuing forecasts and making observations: Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), and also use the 24-hour clock (where 00:00 = midnight UTC).[8] Tropical cyclone advisories in the Eastern North Pacific basin use both UTC and the nautical time zone where the center of the tropical cyclone is currently located. Time zones utilized (east to west) are: Central, Mountain, Pacific and Hawaii. In this timeline, all information is listed by UTC first, with the respective regional time zone included in parentheses. Additionally, figures for maximum sustained winds and position estimates are rounded to the nearest 5 units (knots, miles, or kilometers), following National Hurricane Center practice. Direct wind observations are rounded to the nearest whole number. Atmospheric pressures are listed to the nearest millibar and nearest hundredth of an inch of mercury.

Timeline

Tropical Storm Hernan (2020)Hurricane Genevieve (2020)Hurricane Douglas (2020)Tropical Storm Amanda–CristobalSaffir–Simpson scale

April

Track path of Tropical Depression One-E

April 25

April 26

May

Amanda shortly after landfall

May 15

  • The 2022 Pacific hurricane season officially begins in the East Pacific.[1]

May 30

May 31

June

Track path of Tropical Storm Boris

June 1

  • The season in the Central Pacific officially begins.[1]

June 24

June 25

June 26

Track path of Tropical Depression Four-E

June 28

June 29

June 30

July

Tropical Storm Cristina at peak intensity

July 6

July 7

July 10

July 12

Track path of Tropical Depression Six-E

July 13

July 14

  • 18:00 UTC (11:00 a.m. PDT) – Tropical Depression Six-E dissipates about 610 mi (980 km) west-southwest of the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula.[13]
Track path of the unnamed tropical storm

July 20

July 22

July 23

Hurricane Douglas near peak intensity

July 24

July 25

July 26

July 28

July 29

August

August 8

Hurricane Elida near peak intensity

August 9

August 10

Track path of Tropical Depression Ten-E

August 11

August 12

August 13

Track path of Tropical Storm Fausto

August 16

Hurricane Genevieve at Category 3 intensity

August 17

August 18

August 19

August 20

August 21

Track path of Tropical Storm Hernan

August 26

August 27

Tropical storms Hernan and Iselle alongside the Atlantic's Hurricane Laura

August 28

August 30

September

The combined tracks of the Atlantic's Hurricane Nana and the East Pacific's Tropical Storm Julio

September 5

September 6

September 7

September 12

Tropical Storm Karina on September 14

September 13

September 15

September 16

September 20

September 21

Tropical Storm Lowell on September 22

September 23

September 25

September 29

October

October 1

Marie as a Category 4 hurricane on October 2

October 2

October 3

October 4

October 5

Track path of Tropical Storm Norbert

October 6

October 8

October 10

October 13

October 14

Tropical Storm Odalys on November 4

October 15

November

November 3

November 5

November 17

Track path of Tropical Storm Polo

November 18

November 19

November 30

  • The 2020 Pacific hurricane season ends in the East Pacific and Central Pacific basins.[1]

See also

Notes

References

External links