page_title: Hurricane Otis (2005)
section_title: Meteorological history
hierarchical_section_title: Hurricane Otis (2005) / Meteorological history
caption_attribution_description: Saffir-Simpson Hurricane ScaleTDTS12345 English: Hurricane Otis (2005) track. Uses the color scheme from the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale.
context_page_description: Hurricane Otis was a moderate hurricane that threatened the Baja California Peninsula but dissipated before landfall. Otis developed on September 28, 2005, off the western coast of Mexico, from a tropical wave that emerged from the western coast of Africa and traversed the Atlantic Ocean during the preceding several weeks. After attaining tropical storm status on September 29, the storm moved in a generally northwestward direction for most of its duration. It ultimately peaked at Category 2 intensity on the Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Scale before beginning to weaken. The storm degenerated into a tropical depression on October 3 and dissipated fully on October 5, near the coast of Baja California Sur. Preparations for the storm were completed on the Peninsula; tropical cyclone watches and warnings were declared and numerous shelters opened. However, the storm's effects were minimal, and limited to gusty winds with heavy rainfall. No major damage was reported.
context_section_description: The origins of Hurricane Otis are believed to have been in a tropical wave that emerged from the west coast of Africa on September 9. The wave moved westward across the Atlantic Ocean, spawning Tropical Depression Seventeen on September 17. The southern portion of the wave continued westward, crossing into the eastern Pacific Ocean on September 22. As the wave entered a monsoon-like environment, convection increased on September 23. An associated area of disorganized clouds and thunderstorms persisted off the coast of Mexico for several days, although due to wind shear and its proximity to land, short-term tropical cyclone development—if any—was expected to occur slowly. On September 27, it began to show signs of organization; the National Hurricane Center (NHC) remarked upon the potential for a tropical cyclone to develop within the next day. It is estimated that the system became a tropical depression at 0000 UTC on September 28, while located about 140 miles (230 km) to the south of Manzanillo, Mexico.
  The depression moved slowly toward the southwest and became better organized, despite a decrease in the coverage of deep convection. By late September 28 the depression was approaching tropical storm status; it turned to the northwest and attained winds of 40 mph (64 km/h) at 0600 UTC on September 29, at which time it was assigned the name Otis. That evening, wind shear relented and conditions became more favorable for the storm's intensification. Convection wrapped almost fully around the center, and early on September 3, Otis was upgraded to a Category 1 hurricane on the Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Scale. Shortly thereafter, a ragged eye feature developed; it quickly became better defined as it entered the scope of weather radar in Cabo San Lucas.
  Otis began gradually entering cooler ocean waters, although the National Hurricane Center noted in one of its discussions on the system that the environment was still warm enough to support a stronger storm. The hurricane continued drifting northwestward, and early on October 1 it reached peak intensity at Category 2 status. At the time, maximum sustained winds were at 105 mph (165 km/h) and barometric pressure was recorded at 970 mbar (hPa; 28.64 inHg). Hours later, however, it began to weaken, a trend that continued due to southwesterly wind shear and dry air. The cloud pattern associated with the hurricane deteriorated on October 2, and the center of circulation was separated from the convective activity. Otis weakened to a tropical storm and drifted erratically toward the north-northwest as a result of weak steering currents. Over increasingly cold waters, the cyclone further weakened to a depression on October 3 and consisted of a small swirl of low-level clouds. It became a remnant low pressure area the next day. The system abruptly turned southeastward and drifted parallel to the coast of the Baja California Peninsula until dissipating on October 5.
caption: Map plotting the track and the intensity of the storm, according to the Saffir–Simpson scale
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