All seasons · Eastern and Central Pacific
1996 Pacific hurricane season
The 1996 Pacific season has 13 storms in the best-track record; 9 reached tropical-storm strength and 5 became hurricanes, 2 of them major. Its accumulated cyclone energy of 53.5 is tied for the 16th-lowest of the 77 seasons in the eastern and central Pacific record since 1949. Douglas was the strongest, peaking at 130 mph as a Category 4 hurricane. Landfall records exist for 5 of its storms, in Baja California Sur, Guerrero, Jalisco, Michoacán, Oaxaca and Sinaloa. The first record is dated May 13, the last November 11.
Storm by storm
More storms formed in September than in any other month of 1996: 4 of 13. Genevieve lasted longest, 11.2 days as a tropical or subtropical system. Douglas contributed the most energy, 37% of the season's ACE. Strongest landfall of each storm: Alma reached Michoacán as a Category 2 hurricane on June 24; Boris reached Guerrero as a Category 1 hurricane on June 29; Cristina reached Oaxaca as a tropical storm on July 3; Fausto reached Baja California Sur as a Category 1 hurricane on September 13; Hernan reached Jalisco as a tropical storm on October 3.
| Storm | Dates | Peak | Strength | Lowest | Landfalls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pacific Storm 1 of 1996 | May 13–16 | 50 mph | Tropical storm | 1000 mb | – |
| Pacific Storm 2 of 1996 | May 15–19 | 35 mph | Depression | – | – |
| Alma | Jun 20–27 | 105 mph | Category 2 | 969 mb | Michoacán |
| Boris | Jun 27 – Jul 1 | 90 mph | Category 1 | 979 mb | Guerrero |
| Cristina | Jul 1–3 | 70 mph | Tropical storm | 991 mb | Oaxaca |
| Pacific Storm 6 of 1996 | Jul 4–6 | 35 mph | Depression | – | – |
| Douglas | Jul 29 – Aug 6 | 130 mph | Category 4 | 946 mb | – |
| Elida | Aug 30 – Sep 6 | 65 mph | Tropical storm | 994 mb | – |
| Fausto | Sep 10–14 | 120 mph | Category 3 | 955 mb | Baja California Sur, Sinaloa |
| Central Pacific Storm 1 of 1996 | Sep 16–20 | 35 mph | Depression | – | – |
| Genevieve | Sep 27 – Oct 9 | 50 mph | Tropical storm | 999 mb | – |
| Hernan | Sep 30 – Oct 4 | 85 mph | Category 1 | 980 mb | Jalisco |
| Pacific Storm 12 of 1996 | Nov 7–11 | 35 mph | Depression | – | – |
Against other Pacific seasons
Accumulated cyclone energy of every season; the red bar is 1996.