A tropical storm still could develop even after this year’s Atlantic hurricane season officially ends November 30, according to government forecasters. The wind shear from El Niño, which is responsible for the season’s low storm turnout, could weaken anytime soon while the water temperature in the Caribbean Sea is still warm enough to trigger storm activity.

”The hurricane season goes until November 30. Each day we get closer to that, it looks better and better that we won't see any more tropical activity,” said center spokesman Dennis Feltgen. “But don’t raid the hurricane kit yet.”

In all, there were only nine named storms, including three hurricanes. Two struck the U.S. coastline this year -- Tropical Storm Claudette, which wobbled ashore on the Florida Panhandle in mid-August, and Tropical Storm Ida, which hit Alabama on November 10 after initially strengthening into a Category 2 hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico. The average season sees 11 named storms, including six hurricanes, two intense. “It was a very inactive season,” said William Gray, Colorado State University hurricane forecaster.

Atlantic Hurricane Season Appears Over (Los Angeles Times 11/22/09)

November 24, 2009