It was there for all to see throughout the morning shows on the Weather Channel on Monday. The 2006 season just doesn’t measure up to what transpired in 2005. As of Monday morning, there were half the number of named storms, hurricanes, and major hurricanes in the Atlantic so far to date in 2006 as there was at this same point in 2005. Although the 2006 season has been below par, it has had to deal with an oncoming El Nino episode, cooler than expected sea surface temperatures in the Atlantic, and hostile upper level conditions. Nevertheless, with this latest resurgence, the 2006 season is finally coming into stride, and things have been very busy in the Atlantic.

It is simply not fair to compare the 2006 Atlantic Hurricane Season as well as many others on record since 1851 with the 2005 season. Even those unique seasons such as 1933, 1969, and 1995 can’t even compare with 2005. To compare 2006 to 2005 is not like comparing apples and oranges, but a grape with a grapefruit. So, to see weather forecasters on CNN and some of the major networks compare this season to last season is doing the public a disservice. What really surprises me is that with all the technical people behind the scenes at TWC’s Hurricane Central, is that the Weather Channel, the standard bearer in the media for all things meteorological, has fallen into this same trap.

Hey, if you want to compare 2006 versus the fifty year average from 1950 to 2000 fine. Want to see how it measures up with other seasons during this recent active cycle from 1995 to the present? Sure. Perhaps you could even compare it to the 155 year average from 1851 to 2005. OK. But, don’t compare this season with the mother of all seasons as far as hurricanes go. Give me a break! Another thing that really bothers me about this comparison is that the season isn’t over yet by any stretch. We are still in the month of September, which is peak time for tropical systems in the Atlantic.

Go back in history at some of the biggest storms to hit the Northeast for example. The Long Island Express of 1938 struck on September 21st, The Great Hurricane of 1815 hit on September 23rd, and Hurricane Gloria came ashore on September 27th. Then you had storms such as Hurricane Hazel, which made landfall along the Carolina coast in October. With so much talk early on in the year about there being a major storm affecting the East Coast of the United States, I think we should at least wait until November 30th before letting down our guard. Folks such as Max Mayfield at the National Hurricane Center have been saying for years that all it takes is one storm, and that we shouldn’t get all caught up with the numbers. Well, the weather media should follow the advice.