The 2020 Pacific hurricane season was an event in the annual cycle of tropical cyclone formation, in which tropical cyclones form in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. The season officially started on May 15 in the Eastern Pacific—east of 140°W—and began on June 1 in the Central Pacific—the region between the International Date Line and 140°W–and ended on November 30. These dates typically cover the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Eastern Pacific basin according to the National Hurricane Center. However, tropical cyclones sometimes form outside the bounds of an official season, as was evidenced by the formation of Tropical Depression One-E on April 25. The season effectively ended with the dissipation of its final storm, Tropical Storm Polo, on November 19.
The formation of One-E on April 25 marked the earliest start to a Pacific hurricane season on record. However, seasonal activity as a whole was generally below average. The season featured 16 named storms, in line with the 1981–2010 long-term average of 15. It featured just four hurricanes, or half the average. Three of those hurricanes intensified into major hurricanes, which compares to the average of four. A few storms produced substantial impact to land in 2020. In May, Tropical Storm Amanda caused widespread damage and killed numerous people in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. In August, the remnants of Tropical Storm Fausto sparked devastating wildfires across Northern California, while Genevieve produced hurricane-force winds and caused additional fatalities in the Baja California peninsula. Lesser but still deadly effects were produced there by Tropical Storm Hernan as well. A month prior, Hurricane Douglas passed very close to Oahu, though it caused only minor impact.
This timeline documents tropical cyclone formations, strengthening, weakening, landfalls, extratropical transitions, and dissipations during the season. It includes information that was not released throughout the season, meaning that data from post-storm reviews by the National Hurricane Center, such as a storm that was not initially warned upon, 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 is currently located. The time zones utilized (east to west) are: Central, Mountain, Pacific and Hawaii. 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 National Hurricane Center 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. __TOC__
Timeline
April
April 25 06:00 UTC (11:00 p.m. PDT April 24) at Tropical Depression One-E forms from a low-pressure area about southwest of the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula, becoming the earliest tropical cyclone on record in the East Pacific. It simultaneously attains peak winds of 35 mph (55 km/h) and a minimum barometric pressure of .
April 26 12:00 UTC (5:00 a.m. PDT) at Tropical Depression One-E degenerates into a remnant low about southwest of the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula.
May
May 15 The 2022 Pacific hurricane season officially begins in the East Pacific.
May 30 18:00 UTC (1:00 p.m. CDT) at Tropical Depression Two-E forms from the complex interaction of a Kelvin wave, a cold-core low, and a tropical wave about south of Puerto San José, Guatemala.
May 31 06:00 UTC (1:00 a.m. CDT) at Tropical Depression Two-E strengthens into Tropical Storm Amanda about south-southwest of the Guatemala–El Salvador border. It reaches peak winds of 40 mph (65 km/h) and a minimum barometric pressure of . 10:00 UTC (5:00 a.m. CDT) at Tropical Storm Amanda makes landfall near Las Lisas, Guatemala, with winds of 40 mph (65 km/h). 18:00 UTC (1:00 p.m. CDT) at Tropical Storm Amanda dissipates about 100 mi (165 km) north-northeast of Guatemala City, Guatemala. Its remnants lead to the formation of Tropical Storm Cristobal in the Gulf of Mexico.
June
June 1 The season in the Central Pacific officially begins.
June 24 06:00 UTC (8:00 p.m. HST, June 23) at Tropical Depression Three-E forms from the complex interaction of a tropical wave, an area of disturbed weather, and the favorable phase of the Madden–Julian oscillation about southwest of the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula.
June 25 18:00 UTC (8:00 a.m. HST) at Tropical Depression Three-E strengthens into Tropical Storm Boris about 1,330 mi (2,145 km) east-southeast of Hilo, Hawaii. It attains peak winds of 40 mph (65 km/h) and a minimum barometric pressure of .
June 26 06:00 UTC (8:00 p.m. HST, June 25) at Tropical Storm Boris weakens into a tropical depression about 1,235 mi (1,990 km) east-southeast of Hilo, Hawaii.
June 28 00:00 UTC (2:00 p.m. HST, June 27) at Tropical Depression Boris degenerates to a remnant low about 1,015 mi (1,635 km) east-southeast of Hilo, Hawaii.
June 29 18:00 UTC (12:00 p.m. MDT) at Tropical Depression Four-E forms from the interaction of an area of disturbed weather and a tropical wave about southwest of the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula. It attains peak winds of 30 mph (45 km/h) and a minimum barometric pressure of .
June 30 18:00 UTC (12:00 p.m. MDT) at Tropical Depression Four-E degenerates to a remnant low about 235 mi (380 km) southwest of the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula.
July
July 6 18:00 UTC (1:00 p.m. CDT) at Tropical Depression Five-E forms from a tropical wave about south of Acapulco, Mexico.
July 7 06:00 UTC (1:00 a.m. CDT) at Tropical Depression Five-E intensifies into Tropical Storm Cristina about south-southwest of Acapulco, Mexico.
July 10 18:00 UTC (1:00 p.m. MDT) at Tropical Storm Cristina attains peak winds of 70 mph (110 km/h) and a minimum barometric pressure of about southwest of the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula.
July 12 18:00 UTC (11:00 a.m. PDT) at Tropical Storm Cristina degenerates to a remnant low about west-southwest of the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula.
July 13 12:00 UTC (6:00 a.m. MDT) at Tropical Depression Six-E forms from a tropical wave about south-southwest of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. It attains peak winds of 35 mph (55 km/h) and a minimum barometric pressure of .
July 14 18:00 UTC (11:00 a.m. PDT) Tropical Depression Six-E dissipates about west-southwest of the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula.
July 20 00:00 UTC (5:00 p.m. PDT, July 19) at Tropical Depression Seven-E forms from a tropical wave about west-southwest of the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula. 00:00 UTC (5:00 p.m. PDT, July 19) at Tropical Depression Eight-E forms from a tropical wave about southwest of the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula. 12:00 UTC at Tropical Depression Seven-E intensifies into an unnamed tropical storm about west-southwest of the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula. It attains peak winds of 40 mph (65 km/h) and a minimum barometric pressure of . 18:00 UTC (11:00 a.m. PDT) at Tropical Depression Eight-E intensifies into Tropical Storm Douglas about south of the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula.
July 22 18:00 UTC (11:00 a.m. PDT) at Tropical Storm Douglas intensifies into a Category 1 hurricane about midway between the coastline of southwestern Mexico and Hawaii.
July 23 06:00 UTC (11:00 p.m. PDT, July 22) at Hurricane Douglas rapidly intensifies into a Category 3 hurricane about southwest of the southern tip of the Baja California Peninsula.
July 24 00:00 UTC (5:00 p.m. PDT, July 23) at Hurricane Douglas intensifies into a Category 4 hurricane about west-southwest of the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula. It simultaneously attains peak winds of 130 mph (215 km/h) and a minimum barometric pressure of . 12:00 UTC (2:00 a.m. HST) at Hurricane Douglas weakens to a Category 3 hurricane about southeast of Hilo, Hawaii, as it crosses into the Central Pacific Hurricane Center area of responsibility.
July 25 06:00 UTC (8:00 p.m. HST, July 24) at Hurricane Douglas weakens to a Category 2 hurricane about southeast of Hilo, Hawaii.
July 26 00:00 UTC (2:00 p.m. HST, July 25) at Hurricane Douglas weakens to a Category 1 hurricane about east of Hilo, Hawaii.
July 28 00:00 UTC (2:00 p.m. HST, July 27) at Hurricane Douglas weakens to a tropical storm about northwest of Hilo, Hawaii.
July 29 12:00 UTC (2:00 a.m. HST) at Tropical Storm Douglas degenerates to a remnant low about northwest of Hilo, Hawaii.
August August 8 18:00 UTC (1:00 p.m. CDT) at Tropical Depression Nine-E forms from a tropical wave about south-southwest of Lazaro Cardenas, Mexico.
August 9 06:00 UTC (1:00 a.m. CDT) at Tropical Depression Nine-E intensifies into Tropical Storm Elida about south-southeast of Manzanillo, Mexico.
August 10 18:00 UTC (12:00 p.m. MDT) at Tropical Storm Elida intensifies into a Category 1 hurricane about south of the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula.
August 11 12:00 UTC (6:00 a.m. MDT) at Hurricane Elida intensifies into a Category 2 hurricane about southwest of the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula. It simultaneously attains peak winds of 105 mph (165 km/h) and a minimum barometric pressure of .
August 12 00:00 UTC (5:00 p.m. PDT, August 11) at Hurricane Elida weakens to a Category 1 hurricane about west-southwest of the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula. 12:00 UTC (5:00 a.m. PDT) at Hurricane Elida weakens to a tropical storm about west of the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula.
August 13 00:00 UTC (5:00 p.m. PDT, August 12) at Tropical Storm Elida degenerates to a remnant low about southwest of the central portion of the Baja California peninsula coastline. 06:00 UTC (11:00 p.m. PDT, August 12) at Tropical Depression Ten-E forms from a disturbance in the monsoon trough about west-southwest of the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula. It simultaneously attains peak winds of 35 mph (55 km/h) and a minimum barometric pressure of .
August 16 00:00 UTC (5:00 p.m. PDT, August 15) at Tropical Depression Eleven-E forms from a tropical wave about west-southwest of the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula. 12:00 UTC (5:00 a.m. PDT) at Tropical Depression Ten-E degenerates to a remnant low about southwest of the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula. 12:00 UTC (5:00 a.m. PDT) at Tropical Depression Eleven-E intensifies into Tropical Storm Fausto about southwest of the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula. It attains peak winds of 40 mph (65 km/h) and a minimum barometric pressure of . 18:00 UTC (11:00 a.m. PDT) at Tropical Storm Fausto weakens to a tropical depression about west-southwest of the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula. 12:00 UTC (7:00 a.m. CDT) at Tropical Depression Twelve-E forms from a tropical wave about south of Puerto Ángel, Mexico. 18:00 UTC (1:00 p.m. CDT) at Tropical Depression Twelve-E intensifies into Tropical Storm Genevieve about southeast of Acapulco, Mexico.
August 17 12:00 UTC (5:00 a.m. PDT) at Tropical Depression Fausto degenerates to a remnant low about west of the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula. 12:00 UTC (7:00 a.m. CDT) at Tropical Storm Genevieve intensifies into a Category 1 hurricane about south of Lazaro Cardenas, Mexico.
August 18 00:00 UTC (6:00 p.m. MDT, August 17) at Hurricane Genevieve intensifies into a Category 2 hurricane about west-southwest of Acapulco, Mexico.