It developed from a previously non-tropical cyclone in the western Atlantic Ocean, and initially it moved northeastward off the Carolinas.

In the third week of the month, an upper-level cutoff low developed along one of these troughs, located southeast of the United States and removed from the Westerlies.

On May 25, a small, intense low-level center organized rapidly, and by the next day, it attained gale-force winds, by which time the storm turned southwestward.

[2] At 1600 UTC on May 26, the National Hurricane Center initiated advisories on Subtropical Cyclone Alpha, when the storm was about 225 mi (360 km) to the south of Cape Hatteras.

[9] The winds decreased steadily as it turned more westward on May 27, and the heavy rainfall persisted mostly to the north and west of the center.

[11][12] The difficulty arose from the large, sprawling nature of the storm, and by later on May 27 a new center formed, as confirmed by radar imagery and the Hurricane Hunters.

[4] The interaction between Alpha and the high pressure system to its northeast caused cooler temperatures and gusty winds from Delaware southward.

[17] While moving slowly off the North Carolina coast, Alpha caused heavy beach erosion, destroyed one house, and threatened the foundation of several other homes in the Outer Banks.

At the time, the names were applied to large subtropical cyclones and small neutercanes, both of which were later combined into one category.