MACON, Ga. — The tropics are eerily quiet in a month where hurricane activity is really supposed to kick off. It's this time of year where we throw around a lot of different terms like "tropical depression" and "tropical storm," but what's the difference?
The Atlantic remains practically dormant when it comes to tropical activity, with the exception of one cluster of storms pushing away from the continental United States with a 10% chance of formation over the next five days.
However, there is a batch of storms near Cuba that could bring us some tropical downpours heading into the weekend and early next week.
This disorganized batch of storms looks to become more put-together as it travels over the Gulf of Mexico and approaches the Gulf Coast, but currently has no confidence in formation by the National Hurricane Center.
As it approaches the gulf states, there is a chance it could form into a tropical depression, but it's unlikely it will advance to a tropical storm.
With that said, what's the difference between a tropical depression and a tropical storm?
A tropical depression and storm both are low-pressure systems accompanied by showers and storms.
The main difference is the maximum sustained winds. This increase in wind speed is due to a decrease in pressure.
A depression has maximum sustained winds of 23-38 miles per hour. A tropical storm has maximum sustained winds of 39-73 miles per hour.
A depression does not get a name, while a storm does.
So, in the end, we will look forward to a good dose of rain, and continue to watch the tropics as we head into the peak of hurricane season.