On January 16th this year, meteorologists from around the Caribbean and the U.S. were watching closely an area of low pressure in the North Atlantic Ocean. This powerful low-pressure system, originating from a larger non-tropical low-pressure area, began to look eerily similar to what we tend to see later in the year during the Atlantic Hurricane Season.
Now, months later, the National Hurricane Center said in a statement that upon the typical reassessment of the storm that was located approximately 300 miles (480 kilometers) north of Bermuda will be designated as a subtropical storm. Subtropical storms have some characteristics of tropical cyclones that originate from the deep tropics, like east of Trinidad and Tobago, but derive most of their energy from the clash of warm and cold air, with no associated cold or warm fronts.
“Specific information on the justification for the subtropical storm designation, as well as the system’s synoptic history and impacts, will be available in a Tropical Cyclone Report, which will likely be issued during the next couple of months,” officials wrote in the statement.
At the time, NHC forecasters issued an outlook on the storm and said it was producing powerful winds but was not tropical in nature. It was also bound for colder waters, and a transition to a subtropical or tropical cyclone was unlikely.
The storm did not bring major impacts to the U.S., but wind gusts of more than 60 mph were reported on Sable Island in Nova Scotia, Canada.
Will it be 2023’s first named storm?
According to the National Hurricane Center, the subtropical storm was given the first ID number of the 2023 season – AL012023 – a designation used in the background for archiving best tracks, satellite images, reports, etc. When it comes to taking the first name for the 2023 Atlantic Hurricane Season – Arlene – the answer is no.
This decision isn’t without precedence, as a similar situation unfolded during the 1992 Atlantic Hurricane Season, where three tropical cyclones, including one subtropical storm, formed before the infamous Hurricane Andrew was named.
The next storm that develops in the Atlantic this year will receive the second ID number – AL022023, and when it comes to naming, the NHC says, “If the system begins as a tropical depression, then it would be given the designation ‘Tropical Depression Two,’ and if it becomes a tropical storm, it would be given the name ‘Arlene.’”
Tropical cyclones in January are rare
There are only six tropical systems on record for the month of January, not including this year’s storm.
The last one was Hurricane Alex which first formed near the Bahamas on Jan. 7, 2016. It went on to become a Category 1 hurricane with 75 mph winds as it tracked east before dissipating in the North Atlantic on Jan. 17th.
Interestingly, Subtropical Storm One (2023) is the northeasternmost storm for all recorded “out-of-season” systems, meaning tropical cyclones in the Atlantic that formed between January and April.
Only three January storms have become hurricanes – Alex (2016), Alice (1954), and an unnamed storm in 1938.
Only Hurricane Alice in 1954 directly affected the Caribbean, moving across the Leewards. The hurricane dropped moderate to heavy rainfall across several islands, including a peak of 11.27 inches (286 mm) in 48 hours recorded at Saba. Due to its small size, only a few islands received significant effects from the hurricane. Saint-Barthélemy, Saba, Anguilla, Sint Eustatius, and Saint Kitts reported damage from the hurricane, totaling $623,500 (1955 USD, $4.7 million 2006 USD). Damage was heaviest on Saba and Anguilla, occurring primarily to shipping facilities and crops. 626 houses were destroyed or severely damaged in Anguilla, as well. The damage was caused mostly by heavy rainfall and rough seas, not the direct action of the wind.
2023 Atlantic Hurricane Season Names
