Why are the majority of hurricanes on the atlantic coast?

Question

Rarely do I hear about hurricanes on the pacific (west coast) why is that?

Answer 1

The shallow waters of the mid Atlantic and Caribbean with additional warm waters in the gulf. Additionally, the route that tropical waves take as they come of of Africa add to the ease with which Hurricanes develop in the Atlantic.

It's a better situation than any other part of the world because of all the factors that come together.

Answer 2

The other coast water is about 20 degrees colder then over here, and they have an other name for them that I just can not think of. Also there busy season I believe is in the winter to spring (ours Summer to fall), but the colder north water stops them from hitting US. Then besides if you were a hurricane wouldn't you rather go to Florida then California?

Answer 3

there's a tropical stom and a hurricane in the pacific right now. but most of the storm in the pacific you don't hear about because they don't hit land there are more storms there then you think. Most of the storms that come from the atlantic come from the african coast

Answer 4

One of the first obstacles that must be overcome to develop tropical cyclones is that the ocean water must be at least 26C for a few hundred feet deep.

Water temperatures off of western North America fall short of this mark, except off of the coast of Mexico south of the southernmost point of the Baja Peninsula.

Look at this sea surface temperature chart to see the difference between the west and east coasts.
http://weather.unisys.com/surface/sst.html

Answer 5

The water is too cold. Average temp. off the coast of Ca. if 55 degrees. You'll notice the projected path of John is off the coastline of Mexico and then vears off toward Cabo then out to sea as opposed to traveling along the coast of Ca.

Answer 6

Pacific Hurricanes are usually further south. This is due to the upper level steering winds. "Norman" is now off the western Mexican coast.

Answer 7

hurricanes originate and travel in warm waters. the water in the pacific is extremely cold, and the atlantic is rather warm.

Answer 8

because they move in a counter clockwise motion. They are in the far pacific alot, towards Japan, china, tiawan. last time i checked the rest of the united states was to the east of california. not a huge warm ocean.

my bad for not clarifying that they mostly travel east. and what they all said ^^^^

Answer 9

Because of the flow of the jet streat air. Go to the weatherchannel.com or www.nhc.noaa.gov the national hurricane center.

Answer 10

the atlantic is a colder ocean.