2015: A very busy season for hurricanes in the Eastern Pacific and Mexico

According to NOAA, the 2015 Eastern Pacific Hurricane Season was a record-setting season:

The eastern Pacific saw 18 named storms, including 13 hurricanes, nine of which became major.  This is the first year since reliable record keeping began in 1971 that the eastern Pacific saw nine major hurricanes. Hurricane Patricia was the strongest hurricane on record in the Western Hemisphere in terms of maximum wind speed at 200 miles per hour and lowest air pressure at 879 millibars. Hurricane Sandra, which formed at the tail end of the season, was the strongest hurricane in the eastern Pacific so late in the year, with a maximum sustained wind speed of 145 miles per hour.

The central Pacific shattered its records too, with 14 named storms, including eight hurricanes, five of which became major hurricanes, the most active season since reliable record-keeping began in 1971. Three major hurricanes (Ignacio, Kilo and Jimena) churned at the same time east of the International Dateline, the first time that was ever recorded.

2015 Tropical Storms/Hurricanes

Source: NOAA


Hurricanes approaching Baja California as early as early June (H. Blanca) and as late as late November (H. Sandra).

Something to think about when planning sailing to/from Baja California!