The 2003 Pacific hurricane season was the annual cycle of tropical cyclone formation over the Pacific Ocean north of the equator and east of the International Date Line (IDL). The season officially began on May 15 in the Eastern Pacific proper (east of 140°W) and June 1 in the Central Pacific (140°W to the IDL), and ended on November 30 in both areas. This is historically the period during which most tropical cyclogenesis occurs in these respective areas. The season's first system, Tropical Storm Andres, developed on May 19; its last, Hurricane Patricia, dissipated on October 26.
The 2003 season produced near-average numbers of named storms and hurricanes—sixteen and seven, respectively. However, it was the first season since 1977 in which no storms became major hurricanes by reaching Category 3 or higher on the five-level Saffir–Simpson scale. Only one tropical cyclone—a tropical depression that failed to reach tropical storm strength—formed in the Central Pacific basin, though Hurricane Jimena attained its peak intensity there after entering from the Eastern Pacific basin. Despite the overall low seasonal activity, an unusually large number of tropical cyclones made landfall in Mexico. The country was directly struck by a tropical depression, Nora; two tropical storms, Carlos and Olaf; and two hurricanes, Ignacio and Marty.
This timeline documents tropical cyclone formations, strengthenings, weakenings, landfalls, and dissipations during the season. It includes information that was not released during the season, meaning that data from post-storm reviews by the National Hurricane Center and the Central Pacific Hurricane Center has been included.
The time stamp for each event is first stated using Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), the 24-hour clock where 00:00 = midnight UTC. The NHC uses both UTC and the time zone where the center of the tropical cyclone was then located. Prior to 2015, two time zones were utilized in the Eastern Pacific basin: Pacific for the Eastern Pacific, and Hawaii−Aleutian for the Central Pacific. In this timeline, the respective area time is included in parentheses. Additionally, figures for maximum sustained winds and position estimates are rounded to the nearest 5 units (miles, or kilometers), following NHC practice. Direct wind observations are rounded to the nearest whole number. Atmospheric pressures are listed to the nearest millibar and nearest hundredth of an inch of mercury.
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Timeline of events
May May 15 The 2003 Eastern Pacific hurricane season officially begins.
May 19 18:00 UTC (11:00 p.m. PDT) at Tropical Depression forms from an area of disturbed weather about south-southeast of Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur.
May 20
06:00 UTC (11:00 p.m. PDT, May 19) at Tropical Depression strengthens into Tropical Storm Andres about south-southeast of Cabo San Lucas. 18:00 UTC (11:00 a.m. PDT) at Tropical Storm Andres attains its peak intensity, with maximum sustained winds of and a minimum central pressure of , about south-southeast of Cabo San Lucas.
May 25 06:00 UTC (11:00 p.m. PDT, May 24) at Tropical Storm Andres weakens into a tropical depression about west-southwest of Cabo San Lucas. 12:00 UTC (5:00 a.m. PDT) at Tropical Depression Andres degenerates into a remnant low about west-southwest of Cabo San Lucas, and later dissipates.
June June 1 The 2003 Central Pacific hurricane season officially begins.
June 17 00:00 UTC (5:00 p.m. PDT, June 16) at Tropical Depression forms from an interaction between a tropical wave and an area of disturbed weather about south-southwest of Lázaro Cárdenas, Michoacán. 18:00 UTC (11:00 a.m. PDT) at Tropical Depression strengthens into Tropical Storm Blanca about southwest of Lázaro Cárdenas.
June 18
18:00 UTC (11:00 a.m. PDT) at Tropical Storm Blanca attains its peak intensity, with maximum sustained winds of and a minimum central pressure of , about west-southwest of Lázaro Cárdenas.
June 20 18:00 UTC (11:00 a.m. PDT) at Tropical Storm Blanca weakens into a tropical depression about southwest of Lázaro Cárdenas.
June 22 12:00 UTC (5:00 a.m. PDT) at Tropical Depression Blanca degenerates into a remnant low about southwest of Lázaro Cárdenas, and later dissipates.
June 26 00:00 UTC (5:00 p.m. PDT, June 25) at Tropical Depression forms from a tropical wave about south of Puerto Ángel, Oaxaca. 12:00 UTC (5:00 a.m. PDT) at Tropical Depression strengthens into Tropical Storm Carlos about southwest of Puerto Ángel.
June 27
00:00 UTC (5:00 p.m. PDT, June 26) at Tropical Storm Carlos attains its peak intensity, with maximum sustained winds of and a minimum central pressure of , about west of Puerto Ángel, or about west-southwest of Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca. 03:00 UTC (8:00 p.m. PDT, June 26) at Tropical Storm Carlos makes landfall about west of Puerto Escondido at its peak intensity. 12:00 UTC (5:00 a.m. PDT) at Tropical Storm Carlos weakens into a tropical depression over land about west-northwest of Puerto Escondido. 18:00 UTC (11:00 a.m. PDT) at Tropical Depression Carlos degenerates into a remnant low over land about west-northwest of Puerto Escondido, and later dissipates after reemerging over the Pacific Ocean.
July July 6 06:00 UTC (11:00 p.m. PDT, July 5) at Tropical Depression forms from a tropical wave about south-southwest of Cabo San Lucas. 12:00 UTC (5:00 a.m. PDT) at Tropical Depression strengthens into Tropical Storm Dolores about southwest of Cabo San Lucas. It simultaneously attains its peak intensity, with maximum sustained winds of and a minimum central pressure of .
July 7
00:00 UTC (5:00 p.m. PDT, July 6) at Tropical Storm Dolores weakens into a tropical depression about southwest of Cabo San Lucas.
July 8 06:00 UTC (11:00 p.m. PDT, July 7) at Tropical Depression Dolores degenerates into a remnant low about west-southwest of Cabo San Lucas, and later dissipates.
July 10 12:00 UTC (5:00 a.m. PDT) at Tropical Depression forms from a tropical wave about south-southeast of Cabo San Lucas.
July 11 12:00 UTC (5:00 a.m. PDT) at Tropical Depression strengthens into Tropical Storm Enrique about south of Cabo San Lucas.
July 12
06:00 UTC (11:00 p.m. PDT, July 11) at Tropical Storm Enrique attains its peak intensity, with maximum sustained winds of and a minimum central pressure of , about south-southwest of Cabo San Lucas.
July 13 18:00 UTC (11:00 a.m. PDT) at Tropical Storm Enrique weakens into a tropical depression about west-southwest of Cabo San Lucas.
July 14 00:00 UTC (5:00 p.m. PDT, July 13) at Tropical Depression Enrique degenerates into a remnant low about west-southwest of Cabo San Lucas, and later dissipates.
July 17 18:00 UTC (11:00 a.m. PDT) at Tropical Depression forms from a tropical wave about south of Manzanillo, Colima.
July 18 06:00 UTC (11:00 p.m. PDT, July 17) at Tropical Depression strengthens into Tropical Storm Felicia about southwest of Manzanillo. 12:00 UTC (5:00 a.m. PDT) at Tropical Storm Felicia attains its peak intensity, with maximum sustained winds of and a minimum central pressure of , about southwest of Manzanillo, or about south of Cabo San Lucas.
July 20
06:00 UTC (11:00 p.m. PDT, July 19) at Tropical Storm Felicia weakens into a tropical depression about southwest of Cabo San Lucas.
July 23 12:00 UTC (5:00 a.m. PDT) at Tropical Depression Felicia degenerates into a remnant low about west of Cabo San Lucas, and later dissipates about east of the Hawaiian Islands.
August August 7 06:00 UTC (11:00 p.m. PDT) at Tropical Depression forms from a tropical wave about southwest of Cabo San Lucas.
August 8
00:00 UTC (5:00 p.m. PDT, August 7) at Tropical Depression strengthens into Tropical Storm Guillermo about southwest of Cabo San Lucas. 18:00 UTC (11:00 a.m. PDT) at Tropical Storm Guillermo attains its peak intensity, with maximum sustained winds of and a minimum central pressure of , about southwest of Cabo San Lucas.
August 9 06:00 UTC (11:00 p.m. PDT, August 8) at Tropical Depression forms from a tropical wave about south of Cabo San Lucas.
August 10 00:00 UTC (5:00 p.m. PDT, August 9) at Tropical Depression strengthens into Tropical Storm Hilda about south-southwest of Cabo San Lucas. 06:00 UTC (11:00 p.m. PDT, August 9) at Tropical Storm Hilda attains its peak intensity, with maximum sustained winds of and a minimum central pressure of , about southwest of Cabo San Lucas.
August 11 12:00 UTC (5:00 a.m. PDT) at Tropical Storm Guillermo weakens into a tropical depression about west-southwest of Cabo San Lucas. 18:00 UTC (11:00 a.m. PDT) at Tropical Storm Hilda weakens into a tropical depression about west-southwest of Cabo San Lucas.
August 12 18:00 UTC (11:00 a.m. PDT) at Tropical Depression Guillermo degenerates into a remnant low about west-southwest of Cabo San Lucas, and later dissipates.
August 13
12:00 UTC (5:00 a.m. PDT) at Tropical Depression Hilda is last noted as a tropical cyclone about west of Cabo San Lucas, dissipating shortly thereafter.
August 15 18:00 UTC (8:00 a.m. HST) at Tropical Depression forms from a monsoon trough about southeast of South Point, Hawaii. It is already at its peak intensity, with maximum sustained winds of and a minimum central pressure of .
August 17 00:00 UTC (2:00 p.m. HST, August 16) at Tropical Depression degenerates into a remnant low about south-southwest of South Point, and later dissipates.
August 22 12:00 UTC (5:00 a.m. PDT) at Tropical Depression forms from a tropical wave about southeast of Cabo San Lucas.
August 23 00:00 UTC (5:00 p.m. PDT, August 22) at Tropical Depression strengthens into Tropical Storm Ignacio about southeast of Cabo San Lucas.
August 24
06:00 UTC (11:00 p.m. PDT, August 23) at Tropical Storm Ignacio strengthens into a Category 1 hurricane on the Saffir–Simpson scale about east-southeast of Cabo San Lucas. 12:00 UTC (5:00 a.m. PDT) at Hurricane Ignacio strengthens to Category 2 intensity about east-northeast of Cabo San Lucas, or about southeast of La Paz, Baja California Sur. It simultaneously attains its peak intensity, with maximum sustained winds of and a minimum central pressure of .
August 25 06:00 UTC (11:00 p.m. PDT, August 24) at Hurricane Ignacio weakens to Category 1 intensity about east-southeast of La Paz. 18:00 UTC (11:00 a.m. PDT) at Hurricane Ignacio makes landfall just east of La Paz with maximum sustained winds of and a central pressure of .
August 26 06:00 UTC (11:00 p.m. PDT, August 25) at Hurricane Ignacio weakens into a tropical storm over land about northwest of La Paz. 18:00 UTC (11:00 a.m. PDT) at Tropical Storm Ignacio weakens into a tropical depression over land about northwest of La Paz.
August 27 18:00 UTC (11:00 a.m. PDT) at Tropical Depression Ignacio degenerates into a remnant low over land about northwest of La Paz, dissipating shortly thereafter.
August 28 06:00 UTC (11:00 p.m. PDT, August 27) at Tropical Depression forms from an Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) disturbance about east of Cape Kumukahi Light in Hawaii. 12:00 UTC (5:00 a.m. PDT) at Tropical Depression strengthens into Tropical Storm Jimena about east of Cape Kumukahi Light.
August 29 12:00 UTC (5:00 a.m. PDT) at Tropical Storm Jimena strengthens into a Category 1 hurricane about east of Cape Kumukahi Light.
August 30
00:00 UTC (5:00 p.m. PDT, August 29) at Hurricane Jimena strengthens to Category 2 intensity about east of Cape Kumukahi Light. 12:00 UTC (2:00 a.m. HST) at Hurricane Jimena crosses 140°W into the Central Pacific basin about east of Cape Kumukahi Light. 18:00 UTC (8:00 a.m. HST) at Hurricane Jimena attains its peak intensity, with maximum sustained winds of and a minimum central pressure of , about east of Cape Kumukahi Light.
August 31 18:00 UTC (8:00 a.m. HST) at Hurricane Jimena weakens to Category 1 intensity about east-southeast of Cape Kumukahi Light.
September September 1