Colorado State University forecasts El Niño to dominate and suppress Atlantic activity

The 2026 Atlantic hurricane season is expected to be slightly less active than average, according to the April seasonal forecast issued on Thursday by Colorado State University (CSU) — which pioneered hurricane season forecasts in 1984. CSU anticipates that a strong El Niño — which is typically associated with fewer named storms in the Atlantic — will become the dominant factor in determining tropical weather patterns this season, overcoming other forecast ingredients present that favor increased tropical development. The CSU forecast calls for 13 named storms, 6 hurricanes, including 2 major (Category 3+) hurricanes this year. This is the fewest number of storms they’ve predicted since 2019.