1950 Atlantic Hurricane Season - Summary

Summary

The season officially began on June 15 and ended on November 15; these dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic basin. This season was the first time that the United States Weather Bureau operated with radar technology to observe hurricanes 200 mi (320 km) away from land. Although the season began on June 15, most seasons do not experience tropical activity before August. The tropics remained tranquil through early August, and the U.S. Weather Bureau noted that the season had been "remarkably quiet". The inactive period soon ended on August 12, when the first tropical storm developed east of the Lesser Antilles. This storm received the name "Able" as part of the Joint Army/Navy Phonetic Alphabet. (The same alphabet was also used in the 1951 and 1952 seasons, before being replaced by female naming in 1953.)

Before the end of August, four hurricanes had formed in the Atlantic, three of which attained major hurricane status. A major hurricane is a tropical cyclone with winds of at least 111 mph (178 km/h); a storm of this intensity would be classified as a Category 3 or greater on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale introduced in the 1970s. Only five other Atlantic hurricane seasons had three major hurricanes before the end of August. Aside from 1950, this also occurred during the 1886, 1893, 1916, 2004, and 2005 seasons. In contrast to the busy August, only three named storms developed in September—although three of the August hurricanes lasted into September. Hurricane Dog became the strongest hurricane of the season on September 6 with winds of 185 mph (295 km/h); its peak strength occurred over the open Atlantic Ocean, so it did not cause significant damage when it was at its strongest. It was, however, among the severest hurricanes on record in Antigua, where the hurricane struck early in its duration. Six tropical storms or hurricanes formed in October, which at the time was greater than in any other year, and which no other season has broken; this level of October activity been matched only by the 2005 season.

In total, there were thirteen tropical storms during the season, of which only two (Tropical Storm How and an unnamed tropical storm) did not attain hurricane status. Overall, there were eight major hurricanes during the year, which is a record that still stands. The Hurricane Hunters made about 300 flights into hurricanes during the season, the most since the practice began in 1943. The number of storms was above average; a typical year experiences eleven tropical storms, six hurricanes, and between two and three major hurricanes. With the numerous major hurricanes, the season produced the second-highest accumulated cyclone energy (ACE) on record, after 2005, with a total of 243. This value is an approximation of the combined kinetic energy used by all tropical cyclones throughout the season.