[3] A normal season, as defined by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in the period from 1981 to 2010, has approximately 12 named storms, with 6 of those reaching hurricane status.

CSU based this prediction on an ongoing El Niño event, sea-level pressures, and wind currents.

[3] However, the prediction issued by CSU proved to be too high, with only four named storms forming by the end of the season and three of those reaching hurricane status.

The wind shear was unusually strong throughout the Caribbean and open Atlantic, and disrupted convection in areas of disturbed weather so they could not develop.

The only area where the shear was minimal—a region encompassing the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic north of the Bahamas and east of Florida—was where the four named storms developed.

[4] The probabilities issued were accurate during Alicia, indicating that Galveston and surrounding portions of the upper Texas coast were the most likely area to be struck.

The depression traversed the Atlantic in a west-northwestward direction and also failed to reach tropical storm intensity before dissipating near the northern Leeward Islands on August 2.

The former also became the most intense tropical cyclone of the season, peaking as a Category 3 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 115 mph (185 km/h).

[8] The season's activity was reflected with a very low cumulative accumulated cyclone energy (ACE) rating of 17, one of the lowest on record,[11] which is classified as "below normal".

[8] The National Hurricane Center indicated the possibility of the depression strengthening into a tropical storm in media reports, but upper-level wind shear inhibited any development.

[8][14] The depression moved generally west-northwestward across the deep Atlantic for several days,[8] but failed to strengthened significantly due to strong upper-level wind shear.

[8] The system that would become Hurricane Alicia originated from the western end of a frontal trough that stretched from New England to the Gulf of Mexico.

[9] Satellite pictures showed a meso-scale low-pressure area that had moved off the Alabama and Mississippi coasts near the trough and was possibly the precursor system to Alicia.

On August 15, a ship recorded a minimal pressure of 1015 millibars (29.99 inHg), when the system was upgraded into Tropical Storm Alicia.

[16] Houston suffered heavy damage, including thousands of shattered glass panes from downtown skyscrapers.

[18] Tropical Storm Barry subsequently turned to the west into an area of increased wind shear and weakened rapidly.

The depression entered the central Gulf of Mexico, and after meandering west for a day or so, returned to tropical storm strength.

[19] The disturbed weather, nested off the coast of Bermuda, was one of the remnants of an old frontal trough that had extended from Hispaniola to the central north Atlantic Ocean.

On September 10, a reconnaissance aircraft found sustained winds of 30 mph (50 km/h) and a 1010 millibar (29.83 inHg) pressure reading, indicating development into a tropical depression.

The structure of the system changed little over the next 24 hours, before Chantal lost organization and was downgraded to a tropical storm on the night of the 12th.

[8][21] The depression caused heavy rainfall in the Lesser Antilles,[21] before degenerating into an open tropical wave on September 20 near the Dominican Republic.

A high-pressure area then settled over the northeastern United States, resulting in a strong pressure gradient and winds near gale-force along the east coast.

[23] A low-level circulation formed from the frontal cloud band on September 26 about 460 mi (740 km) east of central Florida.

[23] Dean was first identified late on September 26 as a subtropical storm, though an Air Force reconnaissance flight on the following day only reported winds of 35 mph (55 km/h) at 23 mi (37 km) from the center.