Think the 2010 hurricane season was a snooze? Think again. It tied 1887 and 1995 as the third-busiest on record, with 19 named storms. Most of them steered clear of the U.S., as highlighted in this video from Discovery News that compresses the entire 2010 hurricane season into a minute.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration explains that the jet stream’s position during the 2010 hurricane season contributed to warm and dry conditions in the eastern U.S. and acted as a barrier that kept many storms over open water. Also, because many storms formed in the extreme eastern Atlantic, they curved back out to sea without threatening land.
What's in store for the 2011 hurricane season, which officially gets under way on June 1? Experts at Colorado State University expect one nearly as busy as last year: 17 tropical storms, with nine of those strengthening into hurricanes during the season. Five will grow into "major" hurricanes of category 3 or higher.
More about hurricanes:
- A look back at Louisiana's Great Hurricane of 1812
- Dolphin births have boomed since Hurricane Katrina
- What you need to know about hurricanes
- Weather coverage from msnbc.com
John Roach is a contributing writer for msnbc.com. Connect with the Cosmic Log community by hitting the "like" button on the Cosmic Log Facebook page or following msnbc.com's science editor, Alan Boyle, on Twitter (@b0yle).