Cyclone Tracks and Wave Climates at Cape Hatteras, North Caroline.

The tracks of individual tropical and extratropical cyclones are an important determinant of the magnitude and duration of the water waves that will be produced along the mid-Atlantic coast. Based on a data set covering the years 1942 to 1984, an eastward displacement in the mean track of extratropical cyclones associated with increasing wave magnitude and duration is evident. Tropical cyclones show a westward shift in the mean track with increasing wave magnitude, but little change with duration. No temporal pattern could be identified in the frequency of extratropical storms while the number of tropical cyclones has declined over the past fifteen years. The relationship between sea-surface temperatures, the Gulf Stream, and upper latitude blocking and cyclone movement is briefly discussed as possible reasons for the changes in the mean storm tracks. Keywords: Storm tracks; Extra-tropical storms; Tropical storms; Atlantic coast storms; Wave climate; Hurricanes; Outer banks.