Hurricane Season Ramps Up In The Atlantic: What To Know In VA

While no hurricanes have emerged in the Atlantic Ocean yet this season, more named tropical storms historically emerge after Aug. 1. Forecasters are closing watching for weather systems that could threaten the United States, including potential impacts in Virginia.

While the Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 through Nov. 30, Virginia's tropical storm activity typically is highest from August through late October.

Experts from Colorado State University predicted an above-normal hurricane season; their latest update on Aug. 6 has Virginia with a 25 percent chance of being impacted by a tropical storm and an 8 percent chance of being impacted by a hurricane.

• Related: Updated Atlantic Hurricane Season Forecast Released By CSU Experts

"There will be some tropical concerns near the U.S. coast in the next several days, but the backbone of the Atlantic hurricanes, known as the Cabo Verde season, is about to take center stage," AccuWeather forecasters said. "Cabo Verde is a group of islands just west of the African coast and is an approximate starting point for tropical waves of low pressure that can evolve into long-track hurricanes."

And, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on Aug. 7 updated its 2025 hurricane season outlook, predicting one less in three categories.

"The numbers are fairly similar to the initial May forecast, with the number of named storms adjusted down by one on the top of the range to a total of 13-18, hurricanes lowering by one overall to 5-9, and major hurricanes lowering by one on the bottom range to 2-5," NOAA said. "The season probability of above normal number of storms is 50% (down from 60% in May)."

As of Thursday, Tropical Storm Dexter had deteriorated into a tropical rainstorm. A front off the coast of South Carolina could have some tropical or subtropical development over the weekend. And a tropical wave over the central tropical Atlantic could form a tropical depression late this weekend or early next week, the National Hurricane Center said.

Direct impacts to Virginia aren't expected. But there will be a high risk of rip currents into the weekend, forecasters said.

AccuWeather forecasters say that stormy, rainy conditions could hit the East Coast by the middle of next week.

Dexter was the fourth named storm of the hurricane season; NOAA predicts 13 to 19 named storms in total for 2025, with six to 10 of those becoming hurricanes.

There’s a “lower-than-normal confidence” in this year’s outlook, CSU forecasters said, adding, “The primary reason for the uncertainty in the outlook is the high observed Caribbean shear over recent weeks. Typically, high levels of Caribbean shear in June – July are associated with less active hurricane seasons.”

The university’s meteorologists have predicted where in the U.S. a hurricane might hit through the end of the season.

There’s a 48 percent chance that a major hurricane will make landfall along the entire continental U.S. coastline during the remainder of the season, the forecast said.

There’s a 24 percent chance that a major hurricane will hit the U.S. East Coast, including the Florida peninsula, and a 31 percent chance that one will make landfall along the Gulf Coast, from the Florida Panhandle west to Brownsville, Texas.

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