Reading Hurricane Track Forecast Maps
The track forecast map is the picture you'll watch most during a storm. Here's how to read every part fast — the center line and its D/S/H/M strength dots, the cone (and what it isn't), and the watch/warning colors that actually tell you who needs to act.
The track forecast map is the picture you'll stare at most during a storm. Once you know what each mark means, you can read it in seconds — and avoid the misreadings that get people in trouble. The line and the dots The solid line is NHC's forecast track of the storm's center. The dots along it are the predicted center positions at set times, each labeled with a day and hour. A letter at each dot tells you the system's expected strength at that time: D — Tropical Depression (winds up to 38 mph) S — Tropical Storm (39-73 mph) H — Hurricane (74-110 mph) M — Major Hurricane (Category 3 or higher…
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