Colorado State University is predicting an abnormally active hurricane season this year.

According to the CSU forecasters, 2021 is predicted to spawn 17 named storms, eight hurricanes, and four major hurricanes. That's versus the 30-year average of 12 named storms, six hurricanes, and three major hurricanes.

The 2020 hurricane season was one for the books, breaking records with 30 named storms formed. Thirteen were hurricanes and six were major hurricanes.

The hurricane researchers at Colorado State University say this year, El Niño isn't expected to run through the peak of hurricane season. El Niño usually creates wind shear in the tropics that helps break up or at least weaken storms  before landfall on the U.S. mainland. Also, the subtropics are forecast to be warmer than normal this year during hurricane season.

The National Hurricane Center will start issuing twice-daily regular tropical weather forecasts for the Atlantic Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Caribbean Sea starting May 15. The official start of the hurricane season is June 1.

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