'The tropics are broken:' So where are all the Atlantic hurricanes?

The 2024 hurricane season is not going as predicted – yet.

So far this year, including the three that are spinning Monday, there have been more storms in the Pacific than the Atlantic, and that's a bit of a surprise, forecasters say. In addition, it's been eerily calm in the Atlantic over the past week or so as we approach what's traditionally the busiest time of the season.

"It is quiet out there," Colorado State University meteorologist Phil Klotzbach told USA TODAY on Monday. "I certainly wasn't expecting this when we put out our most recent seasonal forecast!"

"We haven't had a named storm since Ernesto dissipated on Aug. 20," he said, "and the National Hurricane Center currently forecasts no additional storm formations for the next seven days."

Klotzbach said that if we look at named storms (tropical storms, subtropical storms and hurricanes), the last time that we went from Aug. 21 to Sept. 2 with no named storm activity in the Atlantic was 1997.

So what's going on?

"The Atlantic tropics are broken – for now," said meteorologist Ryan Maue on X Sunday, adding that developing storms near Africa are encountering at least one problem: "Ocean temperatures at this latitude are way too cool to sustain a rain shower."

Hurricanes need warm ocean water to thrive like cars need fuel to run, and while the ocean is plenty warm in many areas, it's not where the storms are developing right now.

Klotzbach also said that while some large-scale meteorological patterns are favoring storm formation, others are acting to prevent storms from forming.

Pacific 9, Atlantic 5

So far in 2024, five named storms have formed in the Atlantic basin, according to the National Hurricane Center. This includes three hurricanes (Beryl, Debby and Ernesto). Meanwhile, in the eastern and central Pacific basins, nine named storms have formed, including three hurricanes (Carlotta, Gilma and Hone).

This doesn't match with what the experts were calling for: All preseason forecasts said a very active season was likely in the Atlantic, and some called for a "hyperactive" season – as many as 33 storms possible.

Meanwhile, NOAA's 2024 eastern Pacific hurricane outlook said a "below-normal season was most likely" (60% chance). There was a 30% chance of a near-normal season and only a 10% chance of an above-normal season, NOAA said in its preseason forecast released in May.

What's in the forecast? 'Too early to bail on the season'

"I think it's too early to bail on the season just yet," Klotzbach said, adding that the latest model runs "are a whole lot more robust than they were one week ago at this time."

This means activity in the Atlantic might be about to ramp up.

The Pacific may calm down as the Atlantic heats up: "Following the three systems that are currently being advised on by the National Hurricane Center and Central Pacific Hurricane Center, the basin does look to quiet down pretty quickly," Klotzbach said. "There is very little signal for anything else forming in the long-range guidance."