Atlantic Hurricane season began June 1, and a few weeks back I showed the names that'll be used this year. There's already been one tropical storm in the Atlantic - Allison last week.

Hurricanes also develop in the eastern Pacific Ocean - those storms have their own list of names. As in the Atlantic, the list alternates men's and women's names - Adolph has already been used - it formed back in late May. More tropical systems tend to form in the eastern Pacific because it is generally warmer than the Atlantic. In an average year, 16 tropical storms will develop in the eastern Pacific, with nine becoming hurricanes - the averages are ten tropical storms and six hurricanes in the Atlantic.

Eastern Pacific tropical systems tend to move west or northwest, so most do not hit Mexico or Central America. Full-fledged hurricanes and tropical storms never get far enough north to threaten the western U.S., simply because waters off our West coast are too chilly so storms weaken rapidly. However, moisture from dying eastern Pacific tropical systems occasionally contributes to showers and thunderstorms in California and the desert Southwest.