The 1996 Pacific hurricane season consisted of the events that occurred in the annual cycle of tropical cyclone formation over the Pacific Ocean north of the equator and east of the International Date Line. The official bounds of each Pacific hurricane season are dates that conventionally delineate the period each year during which tropical cyclones tend to form in the basin according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC), beginning on May 15 in the Eastern Pacific proper (east of 140°W) and June 1 in the Central Pacific (140°W to the International Date Line), and ending on November 30 in both areas. However, tropical cyclogenesis is possible at any time of year, as demonstrated by the formation of an unnamed tropical storm two days before the season officially began. Activity during the season was below average; fifteen tropical depressions developed, of which only nine strengthened into named tropical storms. Five became hurricanes, of which two further intensified into major hurricanes. The number of tropical storms were below average; the number of hurricanes were below average, and the number of major hurricanes was half the average of four. Two tropical depressions existed in the Central Pacific in 1996: Tropical Depression crossed over from the Northwest Pacific, while Tropical Depression formed in the Central Pacific. Activity during the season ceased with the dissipation of Tropical Depression on November 11.

Much of the season's activity was clustered near the coast of Southwest Mexico, with four hurricanes and one tropical storm making landfall along it. The most impactful were: Hurricane Alma, which was responsible for 20 deaths; and |Hurricane Fausto, which left behind damage amounting to around $800,000 (1996 USD). Hurricane Douglas was the strongest storm of the season, reaching Category 4 intensity on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale. Douglas developed in the Caribbean Sea, within the Atlantic Ocean, as Hurricane Cesar, before crossing into the Pacific as a tropical storm. This was the second season on record in which there were two crossovers systens, after 1988 (Debby and Joan).

This timeline documents tropical cyclone formations, strengthening, weakening, landfalls, extratropical transitions, 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, 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 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 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 of events

May May 13

06:00 UTC (11:00 p.m. PDT, May 12) at Tropical Depression forms from a tropical wave about south-southwest of the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula.

May 14 00:00 UTC (5:00 p.m. PDT, May 13) at Tropical Depression strengthens into an unnamed tropical storm about southwest of the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula. 06:00 UTC (11:00 p.m. PDT, May 13) at The unnamed tropical storm attains peak sustained winds of and a minimum central pressure of about southwest of the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula.

May 15

The 1996 Eastern Pacific hurricane season officially begins. 00:00 UTC (5:00 p.m. PDT, May 14) at The unnamed tropical storm weakens into a tropical depression about southwest of the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula. 12:00 UTC (5:00 a.m. PDT) at Tropical Depression forms from an area of unsettled weather about southwest of Manzanillo, Colima. It simultaneously attains peak sustained winds of . 18:00 UTC (11:00 a.m. PDT) at Tropical Depression attains a minimum central pressure of about southwest of Manzanillo.

May 16 18:00 UTC (11:00 a.m. PDT) at The unnamed tropical depression is last noted as a tropical cyclone about west-southwest of the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula; it dissipates within six hours.

May 19 00:00 UTC (5:00 p.m. PDT, May 18) at Tropical Depression is last noted as a tropical cyclone about west-southwest of Manzanillo; it dissipates within six hours.

June June 1 The 1996 Central Pacific hurricane season officially begins.

June 20 00:00 UTC (5:00 p.m. PDT, June 19) at A tropical depression forms from a tropical wave about southeast of Lázaro Cárdenas, Michoacán. 18:00 UTC (11:00 a.m. PDT) at The recently formed tropical depression strengthens into Tropical Storm Alma about south-southeast of Lázaro Cárdenas.

June 22 00:00 UTC (5:00 p.m. PDT, June 21) at Tropical Storm Alma strengthens into a Category 1 hurricane about south of Lázaro Cárdenas. 12:00 UTC (5:00 a.m. PDT) at Hurricane Alma strengthens to Category 2 intensity about south-southwest of Lázaro Cárdenas.

June 23

12:00 UTC (5:00 a.m. PDT) at Hurricane Alma attains peak winds of and a minimum central pressure of about southwest of Lázaro Cárdenas.

June 24 00:00 UTC (5:00 p.m. PDT, June 23) at Hurricane Alma makes landfall near Lázaro Cárdenas with sustained winds of and a central pressure of . 06:00 UTC (11:00 p.m. PDT, June 23) at Hurricane Alma weakens to Category 1 intensity off shore, about west-southwest of Lázaro Cárdenas. 18:00 UTC (11:00 a.m. PDT) at Hurricane Alma weakens into a tropical storm about west-southwest of Lázaro Cárdenas.

June 25 18:00 UTC (11:00 a.m. PDT) at Tropical Storm Alma weakens into a tropical depression about southwest of Lázaro Cárdenas.

June 27 00:00 UTC (5:00 p.m. PDT, June 26) at A tropical depression forms from a tropical wave about southeast of Acapulco, Guerrero. 12:00 UTC (5:00 a.m. PDT) at Tropical Depression Alma dissipates about west-northwest of Lázaro Cárdenas.

June 28 12:00 UTC (5:00 a.m. PDT) at The recently formed tropical depression strengthens into Tropical Storm Boris about south-southeast of Acapulco.

June 29

06:00 TC (11:00 p.m. PDT, June 29) at Tropical Storm Boris strengthens into a Category 1 hurricane about south-southwest of Acapulco. 12:00 UTC (5:00 a.m. PDT) at Hurricane Boris attains peak sustained winds of and a minimum central pressure of about west-southwest of Acapulco. 18:00 UTC (11:00 a.m. PDT) at Hurricane Boris makes landfall about halfway between Acapulco and Lázaro Cárdenas with sustained winds of and a central pressure of .

June 30 06:00 UTC (11:00 p.m. PDT, June 29) at Hurricane Boris weakens into a tropical storm inland, about north-northwest of Lázaro Cárdenas. 12:00 UTC (5:00 a.m. PDT) at Tropical Storm Boris weakens into a tropical depression inland, about northwest of Lázaro Cárdenas.

July July 1 12:00 UTC (5:00 a.m. PDT) at Tropical Depression Boris, after moving off shore, is last noted as a tropical cyclone about south of Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco; it dissipates within six hours. 12:00 UTC (5:00 a.m. PDT) at A tropical depression forms from an area of unsettled weather about south of San Salvador, El Salvador.

July 2

00:00 UTC (5:00 p.m. PDT, July 1) at The recently formed tropical depression strengthens into Tropical Storm Cristina about south of Guatemala City, Guatemala.

July 3 06:00 UTC (11:00 p.m. PDT, July 2) at Tropical Storm Cristina attains peak sustained winds of and a minimum central pressure of about southeast of Puerto Ángel, Oaxaca. 09:00 UTC (2:00 a.m. PDT) at Tropical Storm Cristina makes landfall near Puerto Ángel at peak intensity. 18:00 UTC (11:00 a.m. PDT) at Tropical Storm Cristina weakens into a tropical depression inland, about west-northwest of Puerto Ángel; it dissipates within six hours over the Sierra Madre del Sur.

July 4

18:00 UTC (11:00 a.m. PDT) at Tropical Depression forms off the Pacific coast of Mexico.

July 5 00:00 UTC (5:00 p.m. PDT, July 4) at Tropical Depression attains peak sustained winds of and a minimum central pressure of .

July 6 00:00 UTC (5:00 p.m. PDT, July 5) at Tropical Depression is last noted as a tropical cyclone; it dissipates within six hours.

July 29 00:00 UTC (5:00 p.m. PDT, July 28) at Tropical Storm Cesar crosses over from the Atlantic basin and emerges from the Pacific coast of Central America, whereupon it is redesignated as Tropical Storm Douglas. 12:00 UTC (5:00 a.m. PDT) at Tropical Storm Douglas strengthens into a Category 1 hurricane about southwest of the Mexico–Guatemala border.

July 30 18:00 UTC (11:00 a.m. PDT) at Hurricane Douglas strengthens to Category 2 intensity off the Pacific coast of Mexico.

July 31 12:00 UTC (5:00 a.m. PDT) at Hurricane Douglas strengthens to Category 3 intensity about south-southeast of the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula.

August August 1

00:00 UTC (5:00 p.m. PDT, July 31) at Hurricane Douglas strengthens to Category 4 intensity about south-southeast of the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula; it simultaneously attains peak sustained winds of . 12:00 UTC (5:00 a.m. PDT) at Hurricane Douglas attains a minimum central pressure of about south of the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula.

August 2 12:00 UTC (5:00 a.m. PDT) at Hurricane Douglas weakens to Category 3 intensity about west-southwest of the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula.

August 3 00:00 UTC (5:00 p.m. PDT, August 2) at Hurricane Douglas rapidly weakens to Category 1 intensity about west-southwest of the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula. 12:00 UTC (5:00 a.m. PDT) at Hurricane Douglas weakens into a tropical storm about west of the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula.

August 5 00:00 UTC (5:00 p.m. PDT, August 4) at Tropical Storm Douglas weakens into a tropical depression about west of the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula.

August 6 00:00 UTC (5:00 p.m. PDT, August 5) at Tropical Depression Douglas dissipates about west of the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula.

August 14

00:00 UTC (5:00 p.m. PDT, August 13) at Tropical Depression crosses the International Date Line, moving from the Western Pacific basin into the Central Pacific basin.

August 15 00:00 UTC (5:00 p.m. PDT, August 14) at Tropical Depression is last noted as a tropical cyclone.

August 24

18:00 UTC (11:00 a.m. PDT) at Tropical Depression Dolly crosses over from the Atlantic basin and emerges from the Pacific coast of Mexico; it simultaneously attains peak sustained winds of and a minimum central pressure of .

August 25 00:00 UTC (5:00 p.m. PDT, August 24) at Tropical Depression Dolly is last noted as a tropical cyclone; it dissipates within six hours.

August 30 12:00 UTC (5:00 a.m. PDT) at A tropical depression forms from a tropical wave off the Pacific coast of Mexico.

September September 2 06:00 UTC (11:00 p.m. PDT, September 1) at The recently formed tropical depression strengthens into Tropical Storm Elida about southeast of Socorro Island.

September 4

00:00 UTC (5:00 p.m. PDT, September 3) at Tropical Storm Elida attains peak sustained winds of about southwest of the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula. 06:00 UTC (11:00 p.m. PDT, September 3) at Tropical Storm Elida attains a minimum central pressure of about west-southwest of the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula.

September 5 12:00 UTC (5:00 a.m. PDT) at Tropical Storm Elida weakens into a tropical depression about west-northwest of the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula.

September 6