For both residents of Florida and visitors to the Sunshine State, the cone-shaped area on a hurricane map is somewhat of a mystery. Used as a predictive tool, the cone-shaped area on a hurricane map predicts where a tropical storm or a hurricane is expected to travel for one, two, three, four, five days, and beyond. The narrowest part of the cone represents the prediction of a hurricane’s movement over the next 24 hours. As the forecast expands to include additional days, the cone grows wider, and thus, the forecast of a hurricane’s movement is less certain.
The one thing to remember about hurricanes is they are predictably unpredictable. For example, forecasters predicted Hurricane Charlie would make a direct hit on Tampa Bay a little more than 24 hours before landfall. Instead, the hurricane unexpectedly veered east to strike Punta Gorda.