Stalling North Atlantic Tropical Cyclones

Abstract

Tropical cyclone (TC) translation speed is a contributing factor to rainfall accumulation, storm surge, and exposure to high winds, and the impacts are greatest with storms that stall. Here we provide a definition and climatology of slow-moving or stalling TCs in the North Atlantic from 1900–2020. A stall is defined as a named storm whose track is contained in a circular area (“corral”) with a radius of ≤ 200 km for 72 hrs. Stalling TCs clustered in the western Caribbean, the central Gulf Coast, the Bay of Campeche and near Florida and the Carolinas. Stalling was most common in October hurricanes (18.1% of October total) and least common in August (6.6%). Storms that stalled reached Category 3+ status (at some point during their life cycles) at a higher rate than non-stalling storms. The apparent annual frequency of stalled TCs has significantly increased over the satellite-era (1966–2020).