Joining other weather teams, government forecasters on Wednesday called for a slower-than-normal hurricane season, adding fuel to the debate over whether the 20-year era of tropical intensity is finally drawing to an end.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicts six to 12 named storms, including three to six hurricanes.
"That doesn't mean Mother Nature isn't going throw some pitches at us," said NOAA Administrator Kathryn Sullivan, who noted the forecast makes no attempt to say where storms might hit.
In April, Phil Klotzbach and William Gray of Colorado State University called for seven named storms; AccuWeather predicts eight named storms while Tropical Storm Risk forecasts 11.