1985 Central Pacific hurricane season
Jun 1, 1985 – Nov 30, 1985 · Season ended
The 1985 Central Pacific hurricane season produced 2 named storms, 2 hurricanes and 0 major hurricanes, against a 1991–2020 average of 1.6, 0.8 and 0.5. Its accumulated cyclone energy was 22, 92% of the average.
1985 season at a glance
- Named storms: 2 (1991–2020 average 1.6).
- Hurricanes (64 kt+): 2 (average 0.8).
- Major, 96 kt+: 0 (average 0.5).
- Accumulated cyclone energy: 22.0, 92% of the 24 average.
- Named-storm days: 15.0, counting each six-hourly fix at 34 kt or more as a quarter day.
- First named storm: Skip, August 30.
- First hurricane: Skip, September 1.
- Last storm to dissipate: Nele, October 30.
- All systems tracked: 3, including 1 that stayed below tropical-storm strength.
Counts use 1-minute best-track winds: named storms reached 34 kt (39 mph), the next column 64 kt (74 mph) and major storms 96 kt (111 mph).
Every storm of the 1985 season
- Unnamed: This system formed in the Central Pacific in August 1985 and peaked as a tropical depression with maximum sustained winds of 35 mph (55 km/h). It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 1 day.
- Skip: Skip formed in the Central Pacific in August 1985 and peaked as a Category 1 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 90 mph (150 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 970 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 12 days.
- Nele: Nele formed in the Central Pacific in October 1985 and peaked as a Category 1 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 90 mph (150 km/h). It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 7 days.
Each summary is built from the storm’s best track.
Strongest storm of 1985
Hurricane Skip was the strongest storm of the season, peaking at 90 mph (150 km/h), with a lowest pressure of 970 mb, on September 7. That is Category 1 strength on the Saffir-Simpson scale.
28 Central Pacific storms since 1980 peaked higher, and 3 matched it. It produced 46% of the season’s accumulated cyclone energy.
Landfalls in 1985
No storm in the 1985 Central Pacific hurricane season made landfall, according to the best track.
How 1985 ranks since 1980
The season ranks 8th of 47 Central Pacific seasons since 1980 for named storms (tied with 12 other seasons), 3rd for hurricanes (tied with 4 other seasons) and 15th for accumulated cyclone energy.
The record since 1980 is 7 named storms, in 2015, and the highest ACE is 167, in 1992.
1985 storm names
The 1985 season used 2 names: Skip, Nele.
1 system was tracked without a name and is listed by number.
Central Pacific names are used in order across years from four lists, so a season picks up where the last one stopped. See the Central Pacific name lists.
1985 season FAQ
How many named storms were there in 1985?
The 1985 Central Pacific hurricane season had 2 named storms, 2 hurricanes and 0 major hurricanes, from 3 systems tracked in all. The 1991–2020 average is 1.6 named storms, 0.8 at 64 kt or more and 0.5 major per season. The first to form was Skip and the last was Nele.
What was the strongest storm of 1985?
Hurricane Skip. It peaked at 90 mph (150 km/h, 80 kt) with a lowest pressure of 970 mb on September 7. That is Category 1 strength on the Saffir-Simpson scale. 28 Central Pacific storms since 1980 peaked higher. It produced 46% of the season’s accumulated cyclone energy.
When did the 1985 season end?
The official season ended on November 30, 1985, as it does every year in the Atlantic, eastern Pacific and Central Pacific. The last system, Nele, dissipated on October 30. Storms that form in December still count toward that year: 2 Central Pacific storms since 1980 reached tropical-storm strength in December.