page_title: Hurricane Jimena (2009)
section_title: Meteorological history
hierarchical_section_title: Hurricane Jimena (2009) / Meteorological history
caption_attribution_description: English: Track map of Hurricane Jimena of the 2009 Pacific hurricane season. The points show the location of the storm at 6-hour intervals. The colour represents the storm's maximum sustained wind speeds as classified in the Saffir–Simpson scale (see below), and the shape of the data points represent the nature of the storm, according to the legend below. Saffir–Simpson scale Tropical depression≤38 mph≤62 km/h Category 3111–129 mph178–208 km/h Tropical storm39–73 mph63–118 km/h Category 4130–156 mph209–251 km/h Category 174–95 mph119–153 km/h Category 5≥157 mph≥252 km/h Category 296–110 mph154–177 km/h Unknown Storm type Tropical cyclone Subtropical cyclone Extratropical cyclone / Remnant low / Tropical disturbance / Monsoon depression
context_page_description: Hurricane Jimena was the second-strongest hurricane of the 2009 Pacific hurricane season, and tied with Hurricane Norbert as the strongest tropical cyclone to make landfall on western portion of the Baja California Peninsula. Forming from a tropical wave late on August 28, 2009, off of Mexico's Pacific coast, the system rapidly intensified into a Category 2 hurricane on the next day. Two days after developing, Jimena strengthened into a Category 4 hurricane. After peaking close to Category 5 intensity on September 1, it encountered cold water and began to weaken. When the hurricane made landfall on the Baja California Peninsula on September 3, it was only a Category 2 hurricane. On the next day, the tropical cyclone entered the Gulf of California, though the storm weakened into a remnant low after looping back eastward towards Baja California. The storm's remnants drifted westward into the Pacific afterward, before dissipating on September 8.
  When the storm made landfall, Jimena caused $173.9 million USD in damage. The system killed four people across the peninsula.
context_section_description: Hurricane Jimena originated from a tropical wave that moved off the western coast of Africa on August 15. The tropical wave traversed the Atlantic Ocean with little or no convective development. On August 25, the National Hurricane Center began monitoring a broad area of low pressure, while the system was located over Central America. The system moved westbound and entered the eastern Pacific Ocean later that day. Initially, there were no signs of additional development. However, shower and thunderstorm activity began to increase and an area of low pressure developed within the wave on August 27.  Around 1800 UTC on August 28, the low had become sufficiently organized for the National Hurricane Center (NHC) to designate the system as Tropical Depression Thirteen-E. Upon becoming a tropical cyclone, the depression was situated roughly 220 miles (355 km) south of Acapulco. Tracking westward in response to a mid-level ridge over Mexico, the depression intensified into a tropical storm on 0000 UTC August 29. In real time, however, it was not classified until early on August 29 while located 250 mi (400 km) west of Acapulco.
  Tropical Storm Jimena featured only a small area of gale-force winds upon being named; however, the small size of the storm allowed for its subsequent intensification. Deep convection developed around the center of circulation and well-defined convective feeder band to the north. Rapid intensification began to take place early on August 29 as extremely deep convection developed and microwave satellite imagery depicted a developing eye feature within the center of the storm. Jimena turned towards the northwest by this time, and moved over very warm sea surface temperatures, averaging 86 °F (30 °C). The hurricane was upgraded to Category 2 intensity in the late evening hours on August 30, and was upgraded to the season's third major hurricane – a storm with winds of 111 mph (179 km/h) or greater – on the morning of August 30 when the eye became visible on satellite imagery. Continuing to intensify, it was upgraded to a Category 4 hurricane just six hours after becoming a major hurricane and 24 hours after becoming a tropical storm. Meanwhile, the eye became better defined.
  Late on August 29, the cyclone leveled off in intensity as a mid-level Category 4 hurricane due to an eyewall replacement cycle, where one eye gets replaced by another. The cycle continued for another 24 hours, only to start another burst of intensification. By the evening of August 31, Hurricane hunters measured winds of 155 mph (250 km/h) and a pressure of 931 mbar (hPa; 27.49 inHg) while the powerful cyclone began to turn to the north due to nearby Tropical Storm Kevin and a low pressure area west of Baja California. Wind shear increased as the hurricane moved over progressively cooler water. Despite weakening slightly, Jimena was anticipated by meteorologists to still remain a major hurricane as the storm moved ashore. This did not occur and Jimena steadily weakened. On September 1, Hurricane hunters found Jimena weaker, reporting winds of 145 mph (230 km/h) and a pressure of 940 mbar (hPa; 27.76 inHg). About 12 hours after the flight, the winds of Jimena dropped below major hurricane intensity despite an increase of convection.
  On 1200 UTC September 2, Jimena made landfall on Isla San Margarita, Baja California del Sur with winds of 105 mph (165 km/h) and a pressure of 971 mbar (hPa; 28.67 inHg). An hour later, Jimena made a second landfall (after re-entering the Pacific) at the same intensity near Cabo San Lázaro. It then moved over land, weakening into a Category 1 later that day, only to move back offshore as a Category 1 hurricane. The hurricane made a third landfall near San Junacio with 85 mph (150 km/h) winds. After its third landfall, Jimena returned to tropical storm status over land. After emerging into the Gulf of California, steering currents collapsed and increased wind shear continued to weaken Jimena. By late on September 3, Jimena was just a minimal tropical storm. It turned to the west, weakening into a tropical depr
caption: Map plotting the track and the intensity of the storm, according to the Saffir–Simpson scale
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