2020 Pacific Hurricane Season (Dane)

Overview
The 2020 Pacific Hurricane Season was an above average Hurricane Season. The season officially began on May 15th, 2020 and ended on November 30th, 2020. It featured a total of 18 named storms, 11 hurricanes, and 4 major hurricanes. Though not reaching the level of activity expierienced in 2015, the season was rather active, tying 2017 for named storm activity, and being slightly more active than 2019. It also became the second season in a row to not have a storm which attained Category 5 status, with that last occurring from 2018's Hurricane Walaka. The season's strongest storm was Hurricane Genevieve- which much like its 2014 counterpart, rode through the Eastern Pacific and eventually into the Western Pacific near the middle and end of July. 2020 also became the second straight season without a preseason storm, with the first storm forming a week after the season's start on May 22nd. Additionally, 2020 is noted for having the East Pacific's first November Category 1 peak since 1961.

2020's most destructive storm was Hurricane Norbert, which made landfall as a Category 2 in early September along southern Baja California. Norbert is responsible for a large majority of 2020's damages.

Most forecasters initally predicted a slightly above average season due to the possible emergence of an El Nino. Despite this El Nino never materializing, the season expierienced rather favorable conditions for tropical development and achieved a slightly higher total than 2019, in large part to an active July, where six storms of at least Tropical Storm strength developed.

Season Summary
The season started a week after the season officially began with the formation of Tropical Storm Amanda, a weak Tropical Storm that lived south of Mexico and dissipated prior to making landfall. Amanda was followed by Hurricane Boris in early June, a Category 2 storm that drifted northwesterly out to sea. Shortly after came Tropical Storm Cristina, which developed in Boris's wake, but found conditions to be too unfavorable and dissipated quickly. Late June saw Tropical Depression Four briefly form south of Mexico and make landfall before falling apart. July got off to a strong start courtesy of Hurricane Douglas, a 140mph Category 4 storm which traveled well into the Pacific, albeit dissipating before reaching Hawaii.Tropical Storm Elida formed right behind Douglas, and got close to Hurricane status at one point, but fell short and eventually dissipated from shear. Behind Elida came Hurricane Fausto, which, unlike the previous two storms, took a turn northwesterly towards the Baja California peninsula, but dissipated before causing any substantial impacts to the area. The season's biggest storm, Hurricane Genevieve, followed, which formed on July 14th and survived all the way to August 8th, moving westerly through the Eastern and Central Pacific before exiting the basin at the start of August. As Genevieve roamed out west, Hurricane Herman formed, peaking at Category 2 status before eventually weakening and dissipating before reaching Hawaii. July ended on the footnote of Tropical Storm Iselle, which hit Baja California in early August and caused some damages. August proper, however, started with a bang thanks to Hurricane Julio, another long tracked Eastern Pacific storm that missed Hawaii to the north. In an instance of back to back majors, Hurricane Karina followed, but tracked much further north early on than Julio and dissipated. Karina was followed by Hurricane Lowell, a Category Two that missed Baja California to the west. August ended with the brief life of Tropical Storm Marie, a brief lived tropical storm near the Gulf of California. September, however, started with the season's most destructive storm, Hurricane Norbert, which landfalled in Baja California as a Category Two Hurricane and caused substantial damage. Beyond this, however, the season began to settle down, with Tropical Storm Odalys 's life in late September being a brief existence along the southwestern coast of Mexico. Hurricane Polo eventually arrived in mid-October, but was brief as it lived well south of Mexico. But this season still had some steam, as evidenced by the formation of Tropical Storm Rachel in early November, which existed in a similar location to Odalys a month and a half earlier. Many people thought the season was done, but it had another surprise in store, Hurricane Simon, which became the first November Hurricane since Sandra in 2015 and became the first storm in the Eastern Pacific to peak as a Category 1 since 1961.

Tropical Storm Amanda
On May 15th, an area of interest was discovered west of Nicaragua. The invest moved gradually westward, becoming Tropical Depression One on May 22nd. In marginally favorable conditions, One strengthened into Tropical Storm Amanda, the first named storm of the season. Amanda moved slowly northward, however, late on May 23rd, the system began to fall apart in an increasingly unfavorable environment, and weakened to a tropical depression. Amanda became a remnant low on May 25th, just before landfall in Mexico, and dissipated the next day over the higher elevations of south central Mexico. Amanda caused minimal damages and no deaths.

Hurricane Boris
On May 30th, an area of interest was first noted several hundred miles south of Mexico. This invest moved westward, becoming Tropical Depression Two on June 3rd. Two was in a favorable environment, and quickly intensified to Tropical Storm Boris. Boris moved west northwesterly, and continued to strengthen, becoming a Hurricane on June 5th, the first Hurricane of the season. Boris continued to strengthen for the next 12 hours, briefly attaining Category 2 status before an environment with increased shear began to weaken the storm. Boris weakened to a Tropical Storm on June 7th, and degenerated into a remnant low several hundred miles west southwest of Cabo San Lucas on June 9th. The remnants lasted about a day before dissipating over the open ocean. Tropical Storm Boris did not result in any deaths or damages.

Tropical Storm Cristina
On June 3rd, an area of interest was first noted near Acapulco, to the northeast of Tropical Storm Boris. This invest struggled some at the beginning, but eventually became Tropical Depression Three on June 6th. Three became Tropical Storm Cristina, the season's third named storm, shortly thereafter. However, Cristina was quickly struck with unfavorable conditions and dissipated into a remnant low the next day. The remnants were eventually absorbed into the nearby Hurricane Boris. Tropical Storm Cristina caused no damages or deaths.

Tropical Depression Four
On June 19th, an invest was noted several hundred miles southwest of Salina Cruz, Mexico. This invest moved northwesterly for the next four days, becoming tropical depression Four on June 23rd. However, Four was quickly torn apart and began to weaken, but made an eventual landfall near San Luis de la Loma, Mexico as a tropical depression before falling apart on the 24th of August. After landfall, Four fell apart within hours, dissipating in the highlands of South central Mexico. Tropical Depression Four did not cause any damage and was not responsible for any deaths.

Hurricane Douglas
On June 31st, a tropical wave crossed into the Pacific Ocean through Nicaragua, and was designated as an invest. Six days later, the system became Tropical Depression five while several hundred miles southwest of Acapulco, Mexico. Five moved westward into an increasingly favorable environment, and strengthened to Tropical Storm Douglas the next day. On July 7th, Douglas strengthened to a Hurricane, the second one of the 2020 Season. Later that day, it began a period of rapid intensification that saw the storm reach weak Category Three status, becoming the first major of the year. However, a following eyewall replacement cycle weakened the storm back down to a Category two. As this eye reassembled, the storm underwent another period of rapid intensification on July 9th, this time reaching peak intensity as a Category 4. Douglas turned west northwestward, and originally maintained strength, but weakened to a Category 3 early on July 11th only to restrengthen shortly thereafter. However, by this time, Douglas was facing increasing shear and began to weaken substantially, reaching Tropical Storm again on July 14th. Douglas eventually became a tropical depression, then degenerated into a remnant low entirely by July 16th. The remnants continued to work westward, ultimately dissipating four days later just east of the big island of Hawaii. Douglas caused no damages or deaths.