The National Hurricane Center on Tuesday announced changes to the traditional forecast cone that aim to convey a broader understanding of expected impacts from a tropical system and reduce emphasis on the system’s exact trajectory.
The changes, which will be implemented on an experimental basis for the upcoming hurricane season, stem from the need to emphasize the multiple threats a tropical storm or hurricane may deliver.
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This decluttering will point users to focus on the warnings and less on whether a location is simply “in” or “out” of the cone.
The new product, due to begin on or around August 15th, will layer the new cone characteristics with the watches and warnings that extend in the path of the storm. In fact, the watch and warning depiction will be predominant on the graphic and take precedence over the traditional cone.
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Another noteworthy change will be a softer edge on either side of the cone with no differentiation between the time periods of the forecast, which extend out five days.
While the forecast cone is the mainstay of Floridians seeking the most likely track of a storm, the cone has also proven confusing or misinterpreted enough to spark a new approach.
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The forecast cone unveiled today has several distinct changes that the National Hurricane Center hopes will guide better decision making for coastal and inland residents alike. The product will help communicate inland wind risk during tropical cyclone events while not overcomplicating the current version of the graphic.
