2012 Alaska hurricane season

The 2012-13 Alaska hurricane season is an annual event in tropical cyclone formation in the Alaska Hurricane Center's (AHC) area of responsibility. The season will begin on November 1, 2012 and end on April 30, 2013. However, the season's first tropical storm formed on October 6. This year, the AHC began using the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale.

Initial forecasts indicated an above average season, with the AHC forecasting 13-16 named storms, 4-7 hurricanes and 1-2 major hurricanes. The National Weather Service Forecast Office in Anchorage, however, was only forecasting 11 named storms.

The AHC's forecast area extends from 35&deg;N to 80&deg;N and 160&deg;E to 120&deg;W.

Tropical Storm Arianna
A stationary low pressure area persisted in the northern Pacific Ocean, about 840 miles north of Hawaii. This low gradually lost frontal characteristics and was given a 'high' chance of formation by the AHC early on October 6. It became Tropical Depression One-K later that day, and a special advisory was issued several hours later noting that the depression had strengthened. At that time, One-K was named 'Arianna'.

The low is forecast to move rapidly to the north and strengthen to 60 mph.