A rare December disturbance in the Atlantic might turn into a subtropical or tropical storm this week, forecasters said.
The system, described as a large area of low pressure, was pumping out showers and thunderstorms Tuesday morning over the central subtropical Atlantic, about 800 miles northeast of the northern Leeward Islands, according to the National Hurricane Center.
Forecasters say conditions are “marginally conducive for development,” enough for the system to turn into a subtropical or tropical storm in the next few days. The hurricane center is giving it a medium 50% chance of formation in the next two to five days.
It’s not a threat to Florida or the rest of the United States, and is forecast to stay in the Atlantic’s open waters.
Subtropical or Tropical Storm Owen might form in the Atlantic, forecasters said.
“By Thursday night or Friday, the low will move northeastward over cooler waters and interact with a mid-latitude trough, limiting subtropical or tropical development of the system,” the hurricane center said.
If the system does turn into a storm, it would be named Owen and become the 15th named storm of 2022. Owen would also be the 11th named storm to form in December since 1950, according to Philip Klotzbach, a meteorologist at Colorado State University.
While hurricane season officially ended on Nov. 30, storms can form at any time, although it’s not as common.
The most recent December tropical cyclone formation was in 2013. However, it was an “Unnamed” named storm because it was identified in post-season analysis, Klotzbach said.
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