Reading Hurricane Track Forecast Maps

Understanding Hurricane Track Forecast Maps The "Cone of Uncertainty" is one of the most misunderstood weather graphics. Let's break it down: What the Cone Shows: Center Line: Most likely track of the storm's CENTER Cone Area: Where the center could be 67% of the time NOT: The size of the storm or area of impacts Key Points to Remember: 1. The Cone is NOT the Storm Hurricanes are often 200-400 miles wide Impacts extend far beyond the cone Rain can fall 100s of miles from center 2. Uncertainty Grows with Time Day 1: ~35 mile average error Day 3: ~120 mile average error Day 5: ~200 mile average…