2016-17 Arctic cyclone season

The 2016-17 Arctic Cyclone Season is an upcoming event in the Arctic Ocean basin. It will be the second season with named storms. The season will officially begin on November 1, 2016 and end on January 7, 2017. Storms are a part of this season if they form between June 1, 2016 and May 31, 2017. However, polar cyclone formation is possible at any time of year, although extremely rare during the summer months. This season started exceptionally early with the formation of Subpolar Storm Advent in late June, which later became an extremely rare summer major polar cyclone.

Seasonal Forecasts
On April 20, 2016, the BNWC released their early forecast for the season, featuring slightly below-average activity due to a warmer North Atlantic than the previous year, which could suppress the cyclones from becoming polar. Their prediction consisted of 14 named storms, 7 polar cyclones, and 3 major polar cyclones.

Severe Polar Cyclone Advent
On June 24, the Bob Nekaro Weather Center began monitoring an extratropical cyclone in the northern subtropical Atlantic for the development of subpolar or polar characteristics as it tracked over cooler waters in a few days. Early on June 27, the cyclone began developing polar characteristics sooner than originally forecast due to cool waters, and later that same day, the cyclone developed into Subpolar Storm Advent. Early the next day, Advent became fully polar and became the first June polar cyclone on record. Slight weakening took place in the coming hours, before Advent acquired 105 mph winds early on June 29. Early that same day Advent strengthened into a major polar cyclone. At 18:00 UTC on June 29, Advent reached maximum sustained winds of 155 mph, nearly reaching catastrophic polar cyclone status. A weakening trend began later that night due to wind shear from nearby Polar Vortex Abby. Around 16:00 UTC on June 30, Advent made landfall over Greenland with maximum sustained winds of 85 mph as a weak polar cyclone. At 21:00 UTC that same day, Advent weakened below polar cyclone status as it moved over Greenland. On July 1, while weakening, Advent emerged into the Baffin Bay as a polar storm. Late that same day Advent weakened to a polar depression. Advent then briefly regained polar storm status in a blowup of convection near the center, but the blow-up was short lived as Advent degenerated into a remnant low on July 2 in northern Canada. The impact of Advent was minimal.