Tropical storms: From depressions to major hurricanes

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — In preparation for the 2025 hurricane season, Colorado State University projects 17 named storms, nine hurricanes and four major hurricanes.

In 2025, it is expected to see two hurricanes and one major storm, more than the average season.

Not all 17 named storms will necessarily be hurricanes; they also include tropical storms that can intensify and become hurricanes. Hurricanes and tropical storms are powerful weather events that draw heat from tropical waters to fuel them.

They form over the ocean, and the main ingredients needed for them are water, water temperatures of at least 80 degrees Fahrenheit, light upper-level winds and a moist air mass.

The next step for a storm to become a hurricane would be the rising air, causing clouds to form. Outside air rushes in to replace the rising air and that continuous rising motion helps create additional storm formations.

A strong upward motion from the winds and air flowing in from all directions will cause air to spin in an area of low pressure, forming a tropical system.

However, what is the difference between a tropical depression, a tropical storm, and a hurricane?

A tropical depression develops when a tropical event sustains winds speeds of up to 38 miles per hour, with storms forming around the surface circulation.

The tropical depression can upgrade to a tropical storm when the rising air intensifies, building storms at the center.

Tropical storms consist of stronger winds, can cause some damage and can bring wind speeds of up to 73 miles per hour.

The final formation will be when a tropical storm develops into a hurricane, whose wind speeds can exceed 74 miles per hour.

These storms are strong, bringing dangerous winds and causing extensive damage. The rising air near the center then forms the eye of the storm.

The National Hurricane Center classifies hurricanes using the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, a one-to-five rating system based on a hurricane's maximum sustained winds.

The scale estimates the potential damage a storm can cause.

A hurricane with wind speeds up to 95 miles per hour is classified as a Category 1 storm. A storm that produces wind speeds between 96 and 110 miles per hour is classified as a Category 2 hurricane.

These two categorizations produce dangerous wind speeds and cause major damage.

A hurricane is considered major once it reaches category three or higher. These storms are considered deadly and leave a trail of destruction.

While multiple hurricanes that made landfall in the United States peaked at Category 5, only four storms on record have done so at that intensity.