page_title: 2002 Pacific hurricane season
section_title: Seasonal summary
hierarchical_section_title: 2002 Pacific hurricane season / Seasonal summary
caption_attribution_description: Saffir-Simpson Hurricane ScaleTDTS12345 English: Tropical Storm Julio (2002) track. Uses the color scheme from the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale.
context_page_description: The 2002 Pacific hurricane season was a slightly above average Pacific hurricane season that saw three tropical cyclones reach Category 5 intensity on the Saffir–Simpson scale, tied for the most in a season with 1994 and 2018. The strongest storm this year was Hurricane Kenna, which reached Category 5 on the Saffir–Simpson scale. It made landfall near Puerto Vallarta, located in the Mexican state of Jalisco, on October 25. Elsewhere, Tropical Storm Julio made landfall in Mexico, and Tropical Storm Boris dumped torrential rain along the Mexican coast, despite remaining offshore.
  The season officially began on May 15 for the Eastern Pacific, and June 1 for the Central Pacific. It ended on November 30 for both regions. These dates delimit the time when most tropical cyclones form in this part of the Pacific Ocean. The first system formed on May 24 and the final depression dissipated on November 16.
  Other storms were individually unusual. Hurricanes Elida and Hernan also reached Category 5 intensity, but neither caused any damage. Hurricane Fausto had no effect on land, but it regenerated into a weak tropical storm at an abnormally high latitude.
context_section_description: There were 15 tropical storms in the eastern Pacific Ocean in the 2002 season. Of those, eight became hurricanes, of which six became major hurricanes by reaching Category 3 or higher on the Saffir–Simpson scale. Three reached Category 5 intensity, a record shared with the 1994 season. Four tropical depressions formed and dissipated before reaching the intensity of a tropical storm. In the Central Pacific Hurricane Center's area of responsibility, one tropical storm and two hurricanes formed, with one of the hurricanes intensifying into a major hurricane. In the eastern Pacific proper, the season saw below average activity in terms of the number of total storms and hurricanes, but about average activity in terms of major hurricanes. Accumulated Cyclone Energy (ACE) is a measure of the activity of a hurricane season. It is calculated by squaring the windspeed of a cyclone with at least tropical storm-force winds every six hours, summing the results, and dividing that total by 10⁴. The total ACE of the season was 101*10⁴ kn² in the east Pacific proper. This qualifies the 2002 season as near to slightly above normal.
  A moderately strong El Niño, ongoing during the season, may have contributed to the disproportionate number of major hurricanes, as well as reduced activity in the Atlantic. Also of note was an unusual gap in storm formation during the first three weeks of August in this season, historically a prime period for tropical cyclone formation.
  Only three systems, Tropical Storms Boris and Julio and Hurricane Kenna, had significant impact on land. Julio and Kenna caused the only two landfalls this year. Most of the season's impact, including all casualties and most of the damage, was caused by Kenna.
  In addition to the above systems, an area of convection persisted near a developing circulation about 575 mi (925 km) west-southwest of Johnston Atoll on July 18. An upper-level low to the northeast provided outflow, and the Joint Typhoon Warning Center issued a tropical cyclone formation alert early on July 19. Although not classified by the CPHC, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) remarked that a tropical depression had developed by early on July 20, just east of the International Date Line. Soon after, it crossed into the western Pacific and briefly intensified into Tropical Storm Kalmaegi. Also on October 30, the JMA indicated that Tropical Storm Maysak moved into the basin and became extratropical few hours later.
  May
  May 15
  0700 UTC (12:00 a.m. PDT) – The Eastern Pacific hurricane season officially begins.
  May 24
  1800 UTC (5 a.m. PDT) – Tropical Depression One-E forms 485 miles (900 km) south-southeast of Manzanillo, Mexico.
  May 26
  1200 UTC (5 a.m. PDT) – Tropical Depression One-E strengthens into Tropical Storm Alma.
  May 28
  1800 UTC (5 a.m. PDT) – Tropical Storm Alma strengthens into a hurricane.
  May 29
  1800 UTC (5 a.m. PDT) – Hurricane Alma reaches category  2 strength.
  May 30
  0600 UTC (11 a.m. PDT) – Hurricane Alma becomes a major hurricane.
  1800 UTC (5 a.m. PDT) – Hurricane Alma weakens into a category 2 hurricane.
  May 31
  0600 UTC (11 p.m. PDT) – Hurricane Alma weakens into a category 1 hurricane.
  1200 UTC (5 a.m. PDT) – Hurricane Alma weakens into a tropical storm.
  June
  June 1
  The Central Pacific hurricane season officially begins.
  0600 UTC (11 p.m. PDT) – Tropical Storm Alma weakens into a tropical depression.
  1200 UTC (5 a.m. PDT) – Tropical Depression Alma dissipates.
  June 8
  1200 UTC (5 a.m. PDT) – Tropical Depression Two-E forms 150 miles (280 km) west-southwest of Acapulco, Mexico.
  June 9
  0000 UTC (5 p.m. PDT) – Tropical Depression Two-E strengthens into Tropical Storm Boris.
  June 10
  1800 UTC (5 a.m. PDT) – Tropical Storm Boris weakens into a tropical depression.
  June 11
  1800 UTC (5 a.m. PDT) – Tropical Depression Boris degenerates into a remnant low pressure area.
  June 27
  1200 UTC (5 a.m. PDT) – Tropical Depression Three-E forms 970 miles (1795 km) southwest of the southern tip of the Baja Peninsula.
  June 29
  0600 UTC (11 p.m. PDT) – Tropical Depression Three-E dissipates.
  July
  July 9
  1200 UTC (5 a.m. P
caption: Tracking map of Tropical Storm Julio.
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