Colorado State Cuts Forecast, Sees 5 Hurricanes

Declaring their month-earlier report “a bust,” widely watched forecasters at Colorado State University on Friday said they expect the overall 2006 Atlantic hurricane season to be “slightly below” average, instead of more active than normal.

Projections were upended by unexpected high concentrations of dry West African dust which sapped moisture from the atmosphere, eliminating a critical component of storm formation, forecasters said.