A tropical depression formed from a tropical wave late on 15 August 2020 and was classified near 0000 UTC 16 August about 550 nautical miles west-southwest of the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula. The system strengthened into Tropical Storm Fausto at 1200 UTC 16 August, moved generally northward then west-northwestward and westward, and lost organized deep convection as it moved over cooler waters. Fausto became a remnant low by 1200 UTC 17 August about 850 nautical miles west of the southern tip of Baja California and dissipated by 0600 UTC 18 August.
Fausto did not make any landfalls. It remained well offshore of Mexico and the Baja California peninsula for its entire life, and no coastal watches or warnings were required.
The storm’s peak intensity was 35 knots (40 mph) with a minimum central pressure of 1004 mb, corresponding to a weak tropical storm. The peak tropical-storm strength was maintained for about 6 hours; there is some uncertainty because scatterometer data suggested the intensity estimates could have been high.
There were no reports of storm surge or rainfall impacts associated with Fausto, and no ship reports of tropical-storm-force winds. No damage or casualties were reported.
Fausto’s genesis was not well anticipated in early forecasts, though NHC’s official track and intensity forecasts performed near or better than recent averages in the limited sample available. One noteworthy point in the post-storm analysis is that scatterometer data indicated the Dvorak-based intensity estimates may have had a high bias, so Fausto might not have reached tropical-storm strength despite the best-track designation.
Paid members can generate summaries tailored to the counties of their choice. The Fausto TCR covers impacts across many counties and states — a Pinellas County resident doesn't need the Asheville detail, and a Buncombe County resident doesn't need the Tampa surge data.
Upgrade for county-specific summariesSummary above produced from the National Hurricane Center's official post-storm Tropical Cyclone Report. Read the full report for casualty lists, damage estimates by area, forecast critique, and detailed meteorological discussion:
📄 Read NHC's full report on Fausto → (opens at nhc.noaa.gov)| Time (UTC) | Status | Lat | Lon | Winds (kt) | Pressure (mb) | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-08-16 00:00 | TD | 18.00 | -118.20 | 30 | 1005 | |
| 2020-08-16 06:00 | TD | 19.20 | -118.40 | 30 | 1005 | |
| 2020-08-16 12:00 | TS | 20.40 | -119.30 | 35 | 1004 | |
| 2020-08-16 18:00 | TD | 21.70 | -120.50 | 30 | 1005 | |
| 2020-08-17 00:00 | TD | 22.40 | -122.00 | 30 | 1005 | |
| 2020-08-17 06:00 | TD | 22.90 | -123.60 | 25 | 1006 | |
| 2020-08-17 12:00 | LO | 23.30 | -125.30 | 20 | 1007 | |
| 2020-08-17 18:00 | LO | 23.30 | -126.30 | 20 | 1007 | |
| 2020-08-18 00:00 | LO | 23.30 | -127.20 | 20 | 1008 |
Source: NOAA National Hurricane Center HURDAT2 best-track database (nhc.noaa.gov/data). Data is in the public domain. Best-track positions and intensities are post-storm reanalysis estimates and may differ from real-time advisories.