🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <3059je$ed6@nic-nac.CSU.net> hbgeo002@huey.csun.edu (jeffrey trust) writes:
>Ronald Mendricks (ronm@crl.com) wrote:
>> If there's an ocean in the east that produces so much violent weather, 
>> floods, tornadoes, etc., and there's an ocean to the west, why doesn't 
>> the west get hurricanes?
>
>The reason the Western US doesn't get hurricanes is rather simple.  In
>order for a hurricane to develop, the ocean temperature must be above 80
>deg. F.  But, along the West Coast, there is a cold current, so temps
>never reach (at least consistently) 80 deg. F.  Hurricanes commonly form
>off the coast of Mexico at this time of year, and drift north and die, or
>drift west and perhaps reach Hawaii before dying.  The ocean temps to the
>south of California, and in the central Pacific, are warm enough to
>sustain a hurricane (or tropical storm, or depression).

I'd also add that the westward trade winds will tend to move hurricanes 
*away* from the west coast of North America during their development, so 
that they intensify far out into the open ocean. When one does make its 
way into the prevailing westerlies, it loses strength for precisely the 
reason you mention, the lack of available warm ocean water.

[some text deleted]
>occur.  Anyway, I think
>the reason the Midwest gets large storms and we don't is, simply, twofold:
> -presence of a warm body of water nearby (Gulf of Mexico)  (Midwest)
> -lack of a warm body of water nearby, due to the California Cold Current (CA)

And if I may, I'd also add that the Midwest gets large storms because 
it is downstream from a mountain range and plateau (the Rockies). This 
allows for the spinup and intensification of cyclonic storms right over 
the Great Plains.

Eric DeFonso
Atmospheric Science
University of California, Davis