2009 hurricane season over, weather experts say

Sun Sentinel

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — The 2009 Atlantic hurricane season is essentially over, even though it officially ends Nov. 30.

So say Jeff Masters, chief meteorologist of Weather Underground, an online weather site; and William Gray, the well-known Colorado State University hurricane forecaster.

Because El Nino has created strong wind shear over the tropics, “the odds of a storm are very, very small from this point on,” said Gray.

However, the National Hurricane Center in Miami-Dade County, Fla., says not so fast; it’s possible the wind shear could relax over the coming weeks, and the waters in the Caribbean are still warm enough to support storm formation.