The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration projected a “near normal” Atlantic hurricane season Thursday, though officials cautioned unusually high sea-surface temperatures and a likely El Niño complicates the forecast. Details: NOAA said the season, which runs from June 1 through Nov. 30, could bring between 12 and 17 named storms. Five to nine of those could become hurricanes, with one to four hitting Category 3 or higher. Context: NOAA lead hurricane forecaster Matthew Rosencrans cautioned that the combination of El Niño and warm waters causes “a lot of uncertainty.” He said that’s why NOAA’s predictions are r ... (full story)