National Hurricane Center Unveils New Storm Tracking Cone

The updated graphic aims to better communicate storm risks and impacts beyond just the center's path.

Apr. 5, 2026 at 10:04am

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The National Hurricane Center is rolling out a revamped track forecast cone graphic this hurricane season, adding inland tropical storm and hurricane watches and warnings to better convey the full range of wind, rain, and other impacts from storms. The center is also experimenting with an elliptical cone graphic based on a 90% probability, rather than the previous 67% probability, to provide a more accurate representation of potential forecast errors.

Why it matters

The changes to the hurricane tracking cone are intended to improve communication about storm hazards and risks to the public and emergency managers. The previous cone graphic was often misunderstood, focusing only on the likely path of the storm's center and not showing the full extent of impacts. The new graphics aim to provide a more comprehensive picture of the threats posed by hurricanes and tropical storms.

The details

The new official cone graphic will debut when the first tropical storm forms this season. It adds shaded areas for inland tropical storm and hurricane watches and warnings, going beyond just showing the coastlines under such alerts. An experimental version of the cone will also be introduced, using ellipses instead of circles to better illustrate potential forecast errors in both the along-track and cross-track directions. This new cone is based on a 90% probability, meaning the storm's center should stay within the ellipse 9 out of 10 times, compared to the previous 67% probability.

  • The new official cone graphic will debut when the first tropical storm forms in the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season, which begins on June 1.
  • The experimental elliptical cone graphic will also launch at the start of the 2026 hurricane season.

The players

Michael Brennan

Director of the National Hurricane Center.

Robbie Berg

Warning coordination meteorologist at the National Hurricane Center.

John Cangialosi

Senior hurricane specialist at the National Hurricane Center.

Cody Fritz

Storm surge unit lead at the National Hurricane Center.

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What they’re saying

“Being able to provide watches and warnings inland from the coast is a more representative picture.”

— Robbie Berg, Warning coordination meteorologist

“The bottom line is we keep telling people you can't use this one (map) alone. We need you to focus on the whole big picture.”

— John Cangialosi, Senior hurricane specialist

What’s next

The National Hurricane Center will monitor public feedback and continue to refine the new cone graphics based on their effectiveness at communicating storm risks and impacts.

The takeaway

The updated hurricane tracking cone graphics represent an ongoing effort by the National Hurricane Center to provide clearer, more comprehensive information to the public and emergency managers about the full range of threats posed by tropical storms and hurricanes, beyond just the predicted path of the storm's center.