Howard (2016)

An area of disturbed weather south of eastern Mexico organized into a tropical depression on 31 July 2016 about 750 nautical miles southwest of the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula. The system strengthened into Tropical Storm Howard on 1 August and moved generally west‑northwest and then west for several days. Howard reached its peak early on 2 August, weakened as it moved over cooler waters, became post‑tropical on 3 August, and its low‑level remnant passed near the Hawaiian Islands before opening into a trough around 7 August.

Howard did not make any landfalls as a tropical cyclone. Its circulation remained well offshore of Mexico and the U.S. mainland, and by the time the low passed near the Hawaiian Islands it had lost its tropical cyclone characteristics.

The storm’s maximum sustained winds peaked at 50 knots (about 58 mph) and the minimum central pressure at peak intensity was 998 mb. At peak the system was a moderate tropical storm (below hurricane strength) and it maintained 50‑kt winds for roughly 18 hours on 2 August.

There were no reports of storm surge associated with Howard, and the official report lists no rainfall totals or coastal flooding impacts tied to the storm for populated locations. By the time the circulation reached the central Pacific the deep convection had largely diminished, so significant surge or heavy rains were not reported for specific cities or counties.

No damage or casualties were reported in connection with Howard. The greatest impacts were limited by the storm’s distance from land and its short duration as a tropical cyclone.

Forecasts of Howard’s formation and track performed well. The storm’s development was anticipated in National Hurricane Center outlooks, and official track and intensity forecasts for Howard had smaller than average errors compared with recent five‑year means.