Subtropical Storm Nicole (2004) facts for kids
| Subtropical storm (SSHWS/NWS) | |
Subtropical Storm Nicole at peak intensity south of Nova Scotia on October 11
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| Formed | October 10, 2004 |
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| Dissipated | October 11, 2004 |
| Highest winds | 1-minute sustained: 50 mph (85 km/h) |
| Lowest pressure | 986 mbar (hPa); 29.12 inHg |
| Fatalities | None |
| Areas affected | Bermuda, Atlantic Canada, New England |
| Part of the 2004 Atlantic hurricane season | |
Subtropical Storm Nicole was a special kind of storm that formed in the Atlantic Ocean in 2004. It was the fourteenth named storm and the first subtropical cyclone of the 2004 Atlantic hurricane season. Nicole was also the very first subtropical storm to get a regular name from the list used for hurricanes. This storm never reached land directly. However, its leftover parts brought some weather to Anticosti Island in Canada.
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How Nicole Formed and Traveled
Nicole began as a mix of an upper-level air swirl and an old cold weather front. This happened over the southwestern North Atlantic in early October. By October 8, a large area of low air pressure formed. It was about 400 miles (640 km) southeast of Bermuda. This weather system soon began to have strong winds. These winds affected Bermuda on October 9.
Early on October 10, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) announced that the low-pressure system had enough tropical features. They officially classified it as a subtropical storm and gave it the name Nicole.
Nicole then moved over cooler waters toward the northwest. Because of this, it lost its tropical features. On October 11, it was declared a fully extratropical storm. This happened about 345 miles (555 km) south-southeast of Halifax, Nova Scotia.
The Canadian Hurricane Centre continued to track what they called Post-tropical Storm Nicole. This storm had joined with a stronger mid-latitude cyclone. This combined weather system brought heavy rain to the Maritimes region of Canada. The rain fell near Anticosti Island on October 14.
What Happened When Nicole Passed By
Luckily, Subtropical Storm Nicole did not cause any damage or harm to people. This is because it never made landfall. It also did not directly hit any land areas while it was a subtropical storm.
Nicole brought only light rain to Bermuda. It briefly looked like it might threaten the island before moving northeast. Its leftover parts later combined with a stronger storm. This combined system affected Anticosti Island in Canada. However, no major damage was reported in that area either.
Why Nicole Was Special
Since 2002, subtropical storms have been given names from the same list as tropical storms. This means they get names like "Nicole" instead of special numbers or letters. Because of this rule, Nicole was the first named subtropical storm to get a name from the regular hurricane list.
Before 2002, many subtropical cyclones that were strong enough were often called tropical storms. Or, they were just given numbers. In the past, a different naming system was used for subtropical cyclones. They used names from the phonetic alphabet, like "Alpha" or "Bravo."
Related pages
For official forecasts, you can see the NHC's public advisory archive on Subtropical Storm Nicole.
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Tropical cyclones of the 2004 Atlantic hurricane season |
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Images for kids
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Subtropical Storm Nicole shortly after formation on October 10
