NEWS
Could Tropical Storm Cristobal form this week? Hurricane tracker, path
Lori ComstockUSA TODAY NETWORK
Aug. 11, 2026, 1:11 p.m. ET
The 2026 Atlantic hurricane season has been unusually quiet through early August, but forecasters say that could soon change
The National Hurricane Center is tracking an area of low pressure in the central tropical Atlantic with a 70% chance of development during the next seven days. Forecasters say a tropical depression will likely form later this week as the system moves westward across the Atlantic
If the disturbance reaches tropical-storm strength, Cristobal would become the next named storm of the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season. Here’s what forecasters are saying about the system’s timing, path, development chances and the latest hurricane tracker forecasts
Is a tropical depression forming in the Atlantic?
Yes. The National Hurricane Center says an area of low pressure in the central tropical Atlantic has a 70% chance of development during the next seven days, and forecasters say a tropical depression will likely form later this week
If the system strengthens into a tropical storm, the next name on the 2026 Atlantic storm list would be Cristobal
Active Atlantic storms tracker
The National Hurricane Center is currently monitoring several areas of interest in the Atlantic basin. However, forecasters say the disturbance southwest of the Cabo Verde Islands remains the primary system to watch for potential tropical development this week
Tropical Storm Cristobal tracker: Path, forecast and models
The disturbance remains in the central tropical Atlantic and is expected to move westward to west-northwestward during the coming days
Because the system has not yet developed into a tropical cyclone, forecast tracks and computer models remain limited. Additional model guidance and spaghetti models are expected to become available if the system develops further
Check back for updated forecasts, path projections and model data as forecasters monitor the disturbance
Could Tropical Storm Cristobal form this week?
It could. The National Hurricane Center says an area of low pressure in the central tropical Atlantic has a 70% chance of development during the next seven days, and forecasters say a tropical depression will likely form during the latter half of the week
If the system strengthens from a tropical depression into a tropical storm, the next name on the 2026 Atlantic storm list would be Cristobal
However, the disturbance remains far out in the Atlantic, and it is still too early to determine whether it could threaten land or what its long-range path might look like. Forecasters will continue monitoring the system for signs of additional organization and development
Where is the tropical disturbance now?
As of Tuesday morning, the National Hurricane Center said the area of low pressure was located roughly 500 miles southwest of the Cabo Verde Islands
The system remains far from the United States and is being monitored for signs of additional organization
Is the tropical depression expected to impact the US? Will it hit NJ?
It’s too early to know. The disturbance remains far out in the central tropical Atlantic, and forecasters have not identified any specific impacts to the United States, the East Coast, New Jersey or the Mid-Atlantic region
However, August and September are typically the busiest months of the Atlantic hurricane season, and meteorologists will continue monitoring the system as it moves westward across the Atlantic
Why has the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season been so quiet?
Only two named storms, Arthur and Bertha, have formed so far during the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season
Now, forecasters are watching what could become the season’s next named storm, Cristobal, as Atlantic hurricane season begins to ramp up
2026 Atlantic hurricane names: What is the next hurricane name after Bertha?
If the disturbance becomes a tropical storm, the next name on the 2026 Atlantic list will be Cristobal. The names that follow Cristobal are Dolly and Edouard
Lori Comstock is a New Jersey-based reporter covering trending news with USA TODAY Network’s Mid-Atlantic Connect Team. She covers news in the Northeast, including New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Washington DC, Maryland, and Virginia. Reach her at LComstock@usatodayco.com
