National Hurricane Center updates cone graphic

The National Hurricane Center has made a revised version of its forecast cone graphic operational ahead of the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season, adding inland U.S. tropical storm and hurricane watches and warnings to the map. NOAA said the change is part of a broader set of 2026 product updates and is intended to show more clearly where dangerous winds may extend beyond the coast. The agency also changed how it marks tropical disturbances that are not expected to develop, replacing the yellow “X” used in some outlook graphics with a gray one. The Atlantic season begins June 1. ### What exactly changed on the cone graphic? The National Hurricane Center said the operational cone graphic now includes “all land-based (coastal and inland) tropical storm and hurricane watches and warnings” for the continental United States, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. On the map, hurricane warnings appear in red, hurricane watches in pink, tropical storm warnings in blue and tropical storm watches in yellow. (noaa.gov) A March 16 service change notice signed by Deputy Director Jamie Rhome said the updated cone graphic was scheduled to become operational “on or about May 15, 2026.” The notice said inland watches and warnings would appear in the same graphic that already shows the forecast track cone and the storm’s initial wind field. ### Why does the red shading now reach farther inland? (nhc.noaa.gov) NOAA said the change is designed to depict inland hurricane and tropical storm alerts directly on the cone graphic rather than leaving them to separate products. The agency’s 2026 product update said social science research supported adding inland watches and warnings because it would help communicate inland wind risk during tropical cyclone events. (forecast.weather.gov) The National Hurricane Center’s graphic description says the colored areas are an approximate representation of places under active watches and warnings, not a forecast of the exact wind field. The cone itself still represents the probable track of the storm’s center, not the full area that will feel impacts. ### What changed in the disturbance outlooks? The 2026 National Hurricane Conference keynote posted by the National Hurricane Center said disturbances “in which development is not expected” will now be shown with a gray “X” on the Graphical Tropical Weather Outlook. (nhc.noaa.gov) That replaces the yellow symbol previously associated with low-end development chances in the outlook display. (nhc.noaa.gov) The National Hurricane Center’s outlook page on May 21 showed no Atlantic disturbances and said routine issuance of the Tropical Weather Outlook would resume on June 1, with special outlooks issued before then if conditions warrant. ### Does the cone itself mean anything different now? The National Hurricane Center said the operational cone definition has not changed: it still shows the probable track area of the storm center based on historical forecast errors over the previous five years. (nhc.noaa.gov) The agency says the cone does not show storm size, hazards or where impacts will be felt outside the center track. A separate experimental cone graphic is also being tested in 2026. (nhc.noaa.gov) NOAA said that version uses ellipses based on 90% along- and cross-track errors instead of the current circle-based method, and public comments are being accepted through Nov. 30, 2026. ### Where will people see the new graphics this season? NOAA said the updated cone graphic will be issued with National Hurricane Center advisories during the 2026 season. (nhc.noaa.gov) The agency’s hurricane pages and graphical outlook pages are the main public-facing locations for those products. June 1 is the next key date. (nhc.noaa.gov) That is when routine Atlantic Tropical Weather Outlooks resume and when the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season officially starts, according to the National Hurricane Center. (nhc.noaa.gov) (noaa.gov)