Hurricane Blanca (2015)
| Category 4 major hurricane (SSHWS/NWS) | |
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Hurricane Blanca near peak intensity on June 3
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| Formed | May 31, 2015 |
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| Dissipated | June 9, 2015 |
| Highest winds |
1-minute sustained: 145 mph (230 km/h) |
| Lowest pressure | 936 mbar (hPa); 27.64 inHg |
| Fatalities | 4 total |
| Damage | $133,000 (2015 USD) |
| Areas affected | |
| Part of the 2015 Pacific hurricane season | |
Hurricane Blanca was the earliest recorded tropical cyclone to make landfall in Baja California in any given year. Forming as a tropical depression on May 31, Blanca initially struggled to organize due to strong wind shear. However, once this abated, the system took advantage of high sea surface temperatures and ample moisture. After becoming a tropical storm on June 1, Blanca rapidly intensified on June 2–3, becoming a powerful Category 4 hurricane on the Saffir–Simpson hurricane wind scale; maximum sustained winds reached 145 mph (230 km/h) at this time. The hurricane's slow motion resulted in tremendous upwelling of cooler water, resulting in a period of weakening. Blanca gradually recovered from this and briefly regained Category 4 status on June 6 as it moved generally northwest toward the Baja California peninsula. Cooler waters and increased shear again prompted weakening on June 7 and the system struck Baja California Sur on June 8 as a weak tropical storm. It quickly degraded to a depression and dissipated early the next day.
Although Blanca remained far from Jalisco, large swells and rip currents produced by the hurricane claimed four lives. In Northwestern Mexico, watches and warnings were raised prior to the storm's landfall. Blanca caused generally light damage in the region, consisting of downed trees and power lines. Remnant moisture from the system spread across the Southwestern United States, resulting in several days of scattered thunderstorms. Flash flooding occurred in multiple states, washing out roads and damaging homes, though the overall effects were limited.
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