2016 Atlantic hurricane season (Sassmaster15 & MarioProtIV)

The 2016 Atlantic hurricane season was an active year of tropical cyclone formation in the North Atlantic Ocean. Overall, due to the presence of a weak La Niña in the Pacific Ocean, activity was above-average and the season was considered the most active since the 2012 season. While the dates that typically delimit tropical cyclone formation in the Atlantic basin are from June 1 to November 30, the season began exceptionally early with the formation of Hurricane Alex in mid-January; nearly five months prior to the official start. Tropical Storm Bonnie followed in late May, marking the first occurrence of two pre-season tropical cyclones since 2012. As demonstrated by these atypical formations, tropical cyclone development is possible any time of the year. Meanwhile, Tropical Storms Colin and Danielle were the earliest third and fourth named storms on record, respectively. In early August, Hurricane Earl slammed Belize and later became the deadliest hurricane to impact Mexico since Hurricane Stan. Subsequently following was Hurricane Hermine, the first hurricane to make landfall in Florida since Hurricane Wilma, while Tropical Storm Julia was the first tropical storm to form over Florida on record. Between September and October, Hurricane Matthew became the first Category 5 hurricane in the Atlantic since Hurricane Felix. In addition, Hurricane Nicole became the first major hurricane in the month of November since Hurricane Paloma.

Due to a combination of factors, including the development of a La Niña and above-average sea surface temperatures in the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico, activity was above-average and more or less met seasonal predictions. A majority of the season's tropical cyclones affected land to some degree and each one to do so caused loss of life, directly or indirectly. Hurricane Matthew was by far the costliest and deadliest, causing over $3 billion in damage to the Greater Antilles as well as the Carolinas. It should also be noted that the season was the first since 2007 to feature both pre-season and post-season activity.

Pre-Season
The season began exceptionally early, with the evolution of an extratropical cyclone to Hurricane Alex in mid-January. Alex first gained subtropical characteristics in the subtropical Atlantic, prior to becoming a fully tropical hurricane as it shifted northward. Alex then passed through the Azores as a minimal hurricane, eventually making landfall on the island of Terceira just as it weakened below hurricane intensity. Alex became extratropical once again just north of the Azores and was absorbed into a larger system in southern Labrador Sea on January 15. Mesoscale convective energy, leftover from the formation of the system, contributed to the formation of a powerful winter storm just west of the Azores.

Tropical cyclogenesis did not begin again until late May, with an area of of disturbed weather officially being classified as a tropical depression on May 27. This system, better known as Tropical Storm Bonnie, was a weak but persistent tropical cyclone that brought flooding rains to the Carolinas over Memorial Day weekend. While Bonnie eventually turned post-tropical inland, it later regenerated over the open Atlantic just offshore North Carolina and re-attained its initial peak intensity as a weak tropical storm prior to dissipating south of Bermuda in early June.

Alex was the first Atlantic hurricane in the month of January since Hurricane Alice of 1954, and the first to form in the month since a storm in 1938. Bonnie, having formed just days before the official start of the season, marked the first occurrence of two pre-season tropical cyclones since 2012, and is the third only known occurrence on record since 1951.

Season
The majority of the season was highly active and featured a number of named storms, hurricanes, as well as three major hurricanes - the highest seasonal total within an Atlantic hurricane season 2011.

June & July
On June 5, the same day Tropical Storm Bonnie dissipated, a new tropical disturbance near the Yucatán Peninsula consolidated into a tropical depression. The subsequent day, it was named Tropical Storm Colin, the earliest named "C" storm on record. Colin then made landfall near the Big Bend area of Florida as a marginal but large tropical storm. It made a second landfall near South Carolina a day later and re-attained its initial peak wind speed of 60 miles per hour as it skirted North Carolina. Colin remained at this intensity even as it turned extratropical. After a short respite in activity, an invest, dubbed 94L by the National Hurricane Center (NHC), began to consolidate in the Bay of Campeche. This briefly peaked as Tropical Storm Danielle, prior to weakening and making landfall on the Mexican state of Veracruz as a tropical depression which dissipated hours later.

The month of July remained largely dormant, as operationally no storms developed throughout the month. However, a system near New England was found to have attained tropical storm status for at least two days as it remained stationed just off-shore New England. In addition, while Hurricane Earl operationally formed on August 2, it was determined the hurricane had formed much earlier, July 31, as its precursor disturbance entered the Caribbean.