Seasonal Forecasts
| Source | Date | Named storms |
Hurricanes | Major hurricanes |
|
| CSU | Average (1950–2000) | 9.6 | 5.9 | 2.3 | |
| NOAA | Average (1950–2005) | 11.0 | 6.2 | 2.7 | |
| Record high activity | 28 | 15 | 8 | ||
| Record low activity | 4 | 2 | 0 | ||
| –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– | |||||
| CSU | December 7, 2001 | 13 | 8 | 4 | |
| CSU | April 5, 2002 | 12 | 7 | 3 | |
| NOAA | May 20, 2002 | 9–13 | 6–8 | 2–3 | |
| CSU | August 7, 2002 | 9 | 4 | 1 | |
| NOAA | August 8, 2002 | 7–10 | 4–6 | 1–3 | |
| CSU | September 3, 2002 | 8 | 3 | 1 | |
| –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– | |||||
| Actual activity | 12 | 4 | 2 | ||
Noted hurricane expert William M. Gray and his associates at Colorado State University issue forecasts of hurricane activity each year, separately from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Gray's team determined the average number of storms per season between 1950 and 2000 to be 9.6 tropical storms, 5.9 hurricanes, and 2.3 major hurricanes (storms exceeding Category 3 on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale). A normal season, as defined by NOAA, has 9 to 12 named storms, of which 5 to 7 reach hurricane strength and 1 to 3 become major hurricanes.
Read more about this topic: 2002 Atlantic Hurricane Season