WATCH: First Look at 2016 Hurricane Season

Forecasters anticipate a normal 2016 Atlantic hurricane season. The Colorado State University Tropical Meteorology Project predicts 12 named storms. Of those 12, five could be hurricanes and two possibly a category three and higher.

These numbers do not include Hurricane Alex, the rare storm to form in January, 2016. The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30. The CSU team of researchers used historical data from the past 60 years, including sea surface temperatures, wind shear, and El Niño (warming of waters in the central and eastern tropical Pacific).

Full interview with CSU’s Dr. Phil Klotzbach

El Niño is currently weakening and the North Atlantic ocean temperatures are cold. Cold sea temperatures inhibit hurricane formation and intensification.

The CSU team reminds coastal residents that it only takes one hurricane to make it an active season. They should prepare the same for every season, regardless of how much activity is predicted.

#ColoradoState's Dr. @philklotzbach knows hurricanes. And he says expect a near-average #Atlantic #hurricane season: https://t.co/gsNPn2YzAT

— Colorado State Univ (@ColoradoStateU) April 14, 2016

(Headline image: NASA)