Putting Hurricanes on the Calendar

Introduction

You've probably heard of hurricane season, but do you know exactly when it is, and why the beginning and ending dates are set as they are? Can a hurricane occur even if it isn't hurricane season?

NOAA has an official database of storms called HURDAT; it contains data on tropical storms that have occurred in the Atlantic since 1851. In this activity, you'll check these data in a browser, then you'll analyze the storm records, and look at visual data of HURDAT to help you define the dates of hurricane season.

Keeping Track of What You Learn

In these pages, you'll find two kinds of questions.

• Checking In questions are intended to keep you focused on key concepts. They allow you to check if the material is making sense. These questions are often accompanied by hints or answers to let you know if you are on the right track.
• Stop and Think questions are intended to help your teacher assess your understanding of the key concepts and skills. These questions require you to pull some concepts together or apply your knowledge in a new situation.

Your teacher will let you know which questions you should answer and turn in.