Seasonal Forecasts
| Source | Date | Named storms |
Hurricanes | Major hurricanes |
|
| Average (1950–2000) | 9.6 | 5.9 | 2.3 | ||
| Record high activity | 28 | 15 | 8 | ||
| Record low activity | 4 | 2 | 0† | ||
| ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– | |||||
| CSU | December 10, 2008 | 14 | 7 | 3 | |
| CSU | April 7, 2009 | 12 | 6 | 2 | |
| NOAA | May 21, 2009 | 9–14 | 4–7 | 1–3 | |
| CSU | June 2, 2009 | 11 | 5 | 2 | |
| FSU COAPS | June 2, 2009 | 8 | 4 | N/A | |
| UKMO | June 18, 2009 | 6* | N/A | N/A | |
| CSU | August 4, 2009 | 10 | 4 | 2 | |
| NOAA | August 6, 2009 | 7–11 | 3–6 | 1–2 | |
| –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– | |||||
| Actual activity | 9 | 3 | 2 | ||
| * July–November only. † Most recent of several such occurrences. (See all) |
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Forecasts of hurricane activity are issued before each hurricane season by noted hurricane experts Philip J. Klotzbach, William M. Gray, and their associates at Colorado State University; and separately by NOAA forecasters.
Klotzbach's team (formerly led by Gray) defined the average number of storms per season (1950 to 2000) as 9.6 tropical storms, 5.9 hurricanes, 2.3 major hurricanes (storms reaching at least Category 3 strength in the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale) and ACE Index 96.1. NOAA defines a season as above-normal, near-normal or below-normal by a combination of the number of named storms, the number reaching hurricane strength, the number reaching major hurricane strength and ACE Index.
Read more about this topic: 2009 Atlantic Hurricane Season