Timeline of the 2009 Atlantic hurricane season

Timeline of the
2009 Atlantic hurricane season
A map of the tracks of all the storms of the 2009 Atlantic hurricane season
Season summary map
Season boundaries
First system formedMay 28, 2009
Last system dissipatedNovember 10, 2009
Strongest system
NameBill
Maximum winds130 mph (215 km/h)
(1-minute sustained)
Lowest pressure943 mbar (hPa; 27.85 inHg)
Longest lasting system
NameBill
Duration9 days
Storm articles
Other years
2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011

The 2009 Atlantic hurricane season was an event in the annual tropical cyclone season in the North Atlantic Ocean. It was a below-average Atlantic hurricane season with nine named storms, the fewest since the 1997 season.[nb 1][2] The season officially began on June 1, 2009, and ended on November 30, 2009, dates that conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones develop in the Atlantic basin.[3] The first storm to form was Tropical Depression One on May 28, 2009 (one of three in 2009 that did not become a tropical storm), while the last storm, Hurricane Ida, dissipated on November 10.

Of the year's nine named storms, three became hurricanes with two intensifying further into major hurricanes.[nb 2] The inactivity throughout the basin was linked to the formation of an El Niño, which increased wind shear.[2] The two most significant storms of the season, in terms of loss of life and damage, were Hurricanes Bill and Ida. Hurricane Bill was an unusually large storm and was also the season's strongest, attaining winds of 135 mph (215 km/h).[5] Tropical Storm Claudette was the only storm in 2009 to make landfall in the United States; Hurricane Ida became extratropical shortly before coming ashore in Alabama.

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

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).[6] The National Hurricane Center uses both UTC and the time zone where the center of the tropical cyclone is currently located. The time zones utilized (east to west) prior to 2020 were: Atlantic, Eastern, and Central.[7] In this timeline, all information is listed by UTC first with the respective regional time included in parentheses. Additionally, figures for maximum sustained winds and position estimates are rounded to the nearest 5 units (knots, miles, or kilometers), following the convention used in the National Hurricane Center's products. 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.

  1. ^ Climate Prediction Center Internet Team (August 4, 2011). "Background Information: The North Atlantic Hurricane Season". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Climate Prediction Center. Retrieved January 5, 2013.
  2. ^ a b National Hurricane Center (November 30, 2009). "Slow Atlantic Hurricane Season Comes to a Close". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved January 20, 2010.
  3. ^ Dorst, Neal (June 1, 2018). "Hurricane Season Information". Frequently Asked Questions About Hurricanes. Miami, Florida: NOAA Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory. Retrieved June 29, 2020.
  4. ^ "Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale". Miami, Florida: National Hurricane Center. Retrieved June 29, 2020.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference BillTCR was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ "Understanding the Date/Time Stamps". Miami, Florida: NOAA National Hurricane Center. Retrieved July 10, 2020.
  7. ^ "Update on National Hurricane Center Products and Services for 2020" (PDF). Miami, Florida: National Hurricane Center. April 20, 2020. Retrieved May 17, 2020.


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