Dear Tom,
The list of hurricane names for 2004 said the “H” storm was to be Hermine, yet I heard weathermen talking about Hurricane Howard. Why the change?
Faye Fitzgerald, Crown Point, Ind.
Dear Faye,
Hermine was the “H” storm on the list of names for Atlantic Basin tropical cyclones which also includes storms in the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico. There is a separate list of names for hurricanes that develop in the Northeastern Pacific, and that list used Howard for the “H” storm.
Atlantic Tropical Storm Hermine formed off the coast of South Carolina on August 29 and dissipated on August 31 near New Brunswick, the very same day Eastern Pacific Hurricane Howard developed off the southwestern coast of Mexico. Howard roamed the tropical waters off Mexico for a few days before dissipating on September 5 west of Baja California.
———-
Tom Skilling is chief meteorologist at WGN-TV. His forecasts can be seen Monday through Friday on WGN-TV News at noon and 9 p.m.
Write to: ASK TOM WHY, 2501 Bradley Pl., Chicago, IL 60618 or asktomwhy@wgntv.com (Mail volume precludes personal response.)
WGN-TV meteorologists Steve Kahn, Richard Koeneman and Paul Dailey plus weather producer Bill Snyder contribute to this page.
