The 1985 Atlantic hurricane season was an event in the annual Atlantic hurricane season in the north Atlantic Ocean. It featured average activity overall, with thirteen tropical cyclones, eleven tropical storms, seven hurricanes, and three major hurricanes. The season officially began on June 1, 1985 and ended November 30, 1985. These dates, adopted by convention, historically describe the period in each year when most systems form. The season's first system, Tropical Storm Ana, developed on July 15; the season's final system, Tropical Depression Thirteen, dissipated on December 9. Eight tropical cyclones made landfall in the United States, including a record-tying six hurricanes (the most in a single year since 1916).
This timeline documents tropical cyclone formations, strengthening, weakening, landfalls, extratropical transitions, and dissipations during the season. It includes information that was not released throughout the season, meaning that data from post-storm reviews by the National Hurricane Center, such as a storm that was not initially warned upon, has been included.
The time stamp for each event is first stated using Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), the 24-hour clock where 00:00 = midnight UTC. The NHC uses both UTC and the time zone where the center of the tropical cyclone is currently located. The time zones utilized (east to west) prior to 2020 were: Atlantic, Eastern, and Central. In this timeline, the respective area time is included in parentheses. Additionally, figures for maximum sustained winds and position estimates are rounded to the nearest 5 units (miles, or kilometers), following National Hurricane Center practice. Direct wind observations are rounded to the nearest whole number. Atmospheric pressures are listed to the nearest millibar and nearest hundredth of an inch of mercury. __TOC__
Timeline
June June 1 The 1985 Atlantic hurricane season officially begins.
July
July 15 18:00 UTC (2:00 p.m. AST) – Tropical Depression One forms approximately south-southeast of Bermuda.
July 16 18:00 UTC (2:00 p.m. AST) – Tropical Depression One strengthens into Tropical Storm Ana about southwest of Bermuda.
July 19 00:00 UTC (8:00 p.m. AST, July 18) – Tropical Storm Ana achieves its peak intensity with maximum sustained winds of and a minimum barometric pressure of 996 mbar (hPa; 29.42 inHg) roughly northwest of Sable Island, Canada. 06:00 UTC (2:00 am AST) – Tropical Storm Ana transitions into an extratropical cyclone about east-southeast of Glace Bay, Nova Scotia.
July 21 06:00 UTC (2:00 a.m. EDT) – Tropical Depression Two forms over the southeastern Gulf of Mexico roughly west-southwest of Cape Coral, Florida.
July 22 18:00 UTC (2:00 p.m. EDT) – Tropical Depression Two strengthens into Tropical Storm Bob about west-southwest of Cape Coral, Florida.
July 23 Between 12:00 and 18:00 UTC (between 8:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. EDT) – Tropical Storm Bob makes landfall near Bonita Springs, Florida with winds of .
July 24 18:00 UTC (2:00 p.m. EDT) – Tropical Storm Bob intensifies into a Category 1 hurricane approximately east-northeast of Jacksonville, Florida.
Jul 25 00:00 UTC (8:00 p.m. EDT, July 24) – Hurricane Bob attains its peak intensity with winds of and a minimum pressure of 102 mbar (hPa; roughly southeast of Savannah, Georgia. 03:00 UTC (11:00 pm EDT, July 24) – Hurricane Bob makes landfall near Beaufort, South Carolina, with winds of . 06:00 UTC (2:00 am EDT) – Hurricane Bob weakens to a tropical storm about west-northwest of Charleston, South Carolina. 18:00 UTC (2:00 pm EDT) – Tropical Storm Bob degrades to a tropical depression roughly northwest of Greensboro, North Carolina.
July 26 00:00 UTC (8:00 pm EDT, July 25) – Tropical Depression Bob merges with a trough, marking its dissipation, over the Appalachian Mountains along the Virginia–West Virginia border.
August
August 9 18:00 UTC (2:00 p.m. EDT) – A subtropical depression develops about southeast of Savannah, Georgia.
August 9 00:00 UTC (8:00 p.m. EDT, August 8) – The subtropical depression acquires a warm core, spiral banding, and gale-force winds. This marks its transition into a tropical cyclone and simultaneous classification as Tropical Storm Claudette roughly southeast of Hatteras, North Carolina.
August 12 18:00 UTC (3:00 p.m. ADT) – Tropical Storm Claudette makes its closest approach to Bermuda, passing to the north.
August 12 00:00 UTC (8:00 p.m. EDT, August 11) – Tropical Depression Four forms about southeast of Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands.
August 13 Around 06:00 UTC (2:00 a.m. EDT) – Tropical Depression Four brushes the Guanahacabibes Peninsula in Cuba before emerging over the Gulf of Mexico.
August 14 00:00 UTC (7:00 p.m. CDT, August 13) – Tropical Depression Four strengthens into Tropical Storm Danny roughly south-southeast of New Orleans.
August 14 06:00 UTC (3:00 a.m. ADT) – Tropical Storm Claudette attains hurricane-status about 725 mi (1,165 km) northeast of Bermuda.
August 15
00:00 UTC (7:00 p.m. CDT, August 14) – Tropical Storm Danny intensifies into a hurricane roughly southwest of New Orleans. 12:00 UTC (9:00 a.m. ADT) – Hurricane Claudette attains its peak intensity with winds of and a minimum pressure of 980 mbar (hPa; ) approximately southwest of Flores Island, Azores. 16:20 UTC (11:20 a.m. CDT) – Hurricane Danny attains its peak intensity with winds of and a minimum pressure of 987 mbar (hPa; just southeast of Grand Chenier, Louisiana. 16:30 UTC (11:30 a.m. CDT) – Hurricane Danny makes landfall near Grand Chenier, Louisiana, with winds of .
August 16 00:00 UTC (9:00 p.m. ADT, August 15) – Hurricane Claudette weakens to a tropical storm about 220 mi 350 km southwest of Flores Island, Azores. Around 06:00 UTC (3:00 a.m. ADT) – Tropical Storm Claudette passes close to or over Flores Island, Azores, with winds of . 00:00 UTC (7:00 p.m. CDT, August 15) – Hurricane Danny weakens to a tropical storm roughly south of Alexandria, Louisiana.
August 17 00:00 UTC (9:00 p.m. ADT, August 16) – Tropical Storm Claudette transitions into an extratropical cyclone about north-northeast of Terceira Island, Azores. 12:00 UTC (7:00 a.m. CDT) – Tropical Storm Danny weakens to a tropical depression roughly northeast of Monroe, Louisiana.
August 19 00:00 UTC (8:00 p.m. EDT, August 18) – Tropical Depression Danny transitions into an extratropical cyclone about west of Emporia, Virginia.
August 28 00:00 UTC (8:00 p.m. EDT, August 27) – Tropical Depression Five forms over the Windward Passage between Cuba and Haiti Between 00:00 and 06:00 UTC (8:00 p.m. EDT, August 27 – 2:00 a.m. EDT, August 28) – Tropical Depression Five makes landfall near Cajobabo, Cuba, with winds of .
August 28 18:00 UTC (2:00 p.m. EDT) – Tropical Depression Five strengthens into Tropical Storm Elena just southeast of Cifuentes, Cuba, while still over land.
August 29 00:00 UTC (8:00 p.m. EDT, August 28) – Tropical Storm Elena emerges over the Gulf of Mexico just north of Santa Cruz del Norte, Cuba. 12:00 UTC (8:00 a.m. EDT) – Tropical Storm Elena strengthens into a hurricane roughly west-northwest of Key West, Florida.
August 30 12:00 UTC (7:00 a.m. CDT) – Hurricane Elena attains Category 2 status approximately south-southeast of Mobile, Alabama.
September
September 1 06:00 UTC (2:00 a.m. EDT) – Hurricane Elena strengthens into a Category 3 hurricane roughly south-southeast of Tallahassee, Florida as it executes an unusual clockwise loop over the northeastern Gulf of Mexico.
September 2 00:00 UTC (7:00 p.m. CDT, September 1) – Hurricane Elena attains its peak intensity with winds of and a minimum pressure of 953 mbar (hPa; ) about south-southwest of Panama City, Florida.
September 2 13:00 UTC (8:00 a.m. CDT) – Hurricane Elena makes landfall near Gulfport, Mississippi, with winds of . 18:00 UTC (1:00 p.m. CDT) – Land interaction causes Hurricane Elena to rapidly weaken to tropical storm status about south of McComb, Mississippi.
September 3 06:00 UTC (1:00 a.m. CDT) – Tropical Storm Elena further degrades to a tropical depression roughly southwest of Ruston, Louisiana.
September 4 1800 UTC (1:00 p.m. CDT) – Tropical Depression Elena dissipates over eastern Missouri.
September 8 12:00 UTC (3:00 a.m. ADT) – An unnumbered tropical depressions develops about northwest of Santo Antão, Cape Verde.
September 9 06:00 UTC (3:00 a.m. ADT) – The unnumbered tropical depression attains its maximum winds of roughly northwest of Santo Antão, Cape Verde. September 11 12:00 UTC (9:00 a.m. ADT) – Tropical Depression Six develops about north of Tobago. 18:00 UTC (3:00 p.m. ADT) – Tropical Depression Six attains its maximum sustained winds of roughly east of Grenada. Between 18:00 and 00:00 UTC (3:00–9:00 p.m. ADT) – Tropical Depression Six makes landfall over Grenada with winds of .
September 13 12:00 UTC (9:00 a.m. ADT) – The unnumbered tropical depression dissipates about 740 mi (1,195 km) east of Bermuda. 18:00 UTC (2:00 p.m. EDT) – Tropical Depression Six dissipates roughly northwest of Aruba.
September 15 1800 UTC (2:00 p.m. EDT) – Tropical Depression Seven developed 150 miles (240 km) north of Grand Turk Island.
October October 7 1200 UTC (8:00 a.m. AST) – Tropical Depression Ten developed near the coastline of the Dominican Republic province of Puerto Plata. 1800 UTC (2:00 p.m. AST) – Tropical Depression Ten strengthens into Tropical Storm Isabel.
October 8 2100 UTC (5:00 p.m. AST) – Tropical Storm Isabel attains its peak intensity with winds of and a minimum pressure of 997 mbar (hPa; ).
October 10 2100 UTC (5:00 p.m. EDT) – Tropical Storm Isabel made landfall near Fernandina Beach, Florida with winds of .
October 11 0000 UTC (8:00 p.m. EDT October 10) – Tropical Storm Isabel weakens to a tropical depression.
October 15 1800 UTC (2:00 p.m. EDT) – Tropical Depression Isabel dissipated about east-southeast of Virginia Beach, Virginia.
October 26 0000 UTC (7:00 p.m. CDT October 25) – Tropical Depression Eleven developed about north-northwest of Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico. 1200 UTC (7:00 a.m. CDT) – Tropical Depression Eleven strengthens into Tropical Storm Juan.
October 28 0000 UTC (7:00 p.m. CDT October 27) – Tropical Storm Juan strengthens into a Category 1 hurricane. 1800 UTC (1:00 p.m. CDT) – Hurricane Juan attains its peak intensity with winds of and a minimum pressure of 971 mbar (hPa; ).
October 29 Shortly before 1200 UTC (7:00 a.m. CDT) – Hurricane Juan made landfall near Morgan City, Louisiana with winds of . 1800 UTC (1:00 p.m.) – Hurricane Juan weakened to a tropical storm.
October 31 0600-1200 UTC (1:00–7:00 a.m. CDT) – Tropical Storm Juan made landfall in Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana with winds of .
November November 30 The 1985 Atlantic hurricane season officially ends.
December December 7 1200 UTC (8:00 am EDT) – Tropical Depression Thirteen developed about west-northwest of Puerto Colombia, Colombia.
December 8 1200 UTC (8:00 am EDT) – Tropical Depression Thirteen attained its peak winds of .
December 9 1800 UTC (2:00 pm EDT) – Tropical Depression Thirteen dissipated about west-northwest of Colón, Panama.
See also
Lists of Atlantic hurricanes
References
External links nhc.noaa.gov, National Hurricane Center homepage