1973 Eastern Pacific hurricane season
Hurricane Ava 1973
Hurricane Ava became a powerful early-season Pacific hurricane in June 1973 while remaining offshore. Its passage gave researchers an unusual opportunity to observe the same hurricane from aircraft, weather satellites and the Skylab space station.
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161 mph
Jun 6, 1973 during the tropical stage
Full archive record, including non-tropical stages if present
Along the recorded center positions
STORM HISTORY
Strengthening south of Mexico
Ava formed south of Salina Cruz on 2 June and moved slowly west, away from Mexico. It became a hurricane the following day and continued strengthening. Aircraft measured a central pressure of 915 hPa on 6 June, and the archive records peak one-minute winds of 140 kt early on 7 June.
The hurricane weakened after 8 June while continuing west. It fell below hurricane strength on 10 June, then turned north as its circulation deteriorated. The archived track ends on 12 June without a landfall.
Measurements from aircraft and space
Skylab passed above Ava during its first crewed mission. Instruments aboard the station measured large waves, while reconnaissance aircraft used radar and a laser altimeter to observe the sea below. Comparing these measurements helped researchers assess methods for studying hurricanes remotely.
Although Ava stayed offshore, its swell reached Southern California. Hazardous surf and rip currents increased the workload for lifeguards on 9 and 10 June, with dozens of rescues reported at Newport Beach and Seal Beach.
Further reading
QUICK ANSWERS
Ava in brief
What was Hurricane Ava's highest wind speed?
161 mph, the highest one-minute sustained wind in its tropical stage, recorded on Jun 7, 1973, 12:00 AM UTC.
What category was Hurricane Ava?
Category 5 at its peak on the Saffir–Simpson one-minute wind scale, first reaching Category 5 on Jun 7, 1973, 12:00 AM UTC. Other agencies classify storms differently.
What was Hurricane Ava's lowest pressure?
915 mb, the minimum central pressure recorded during its tropical stage, on Jun 6, 1973, 06:00 PM UTC.
When did Hurricane Ava occur?
The archived track runs from Jun 2, 1973, 12:00 AM UTC to Jun 12, 1973, 12:00 PM UTC, with the tropical stage from Jun 2, 1973, 12:00 AM UTC to Jun 11, 1973, 09:00 AM UTC.
Where did Hurricane Ava form?
In the Eastern Pacific basin, in the 1973 season. Its first archived position is 11.5°N, 94.1°W on Jun 2, 1973, 12:00 AM UTC.
Did Hurricane Ava make landfall?
No archived position places Hurricane Ava's center over land, but positions are six-hourly and a brief landfall can fall between them.
METHODOLOGY
Data sources and limitations
The map and summary are generated from NOAA's IBTrACS v04r01 archive. Wind and category use US-agency records; minimum pressure is calculated during the tropical stage, with the archive's pressure source retained. Category 5 refers to the Saffir–Simpson one-minute wind scale; local agencies may use different classifications. Coastlines use Natural Earth's 1:10m land data.
Track distance adds great-circle distances between consecutive observations, excluding gaps over 12 hours. This track has no gaps over 12 hours. The line shows the storm's center, not its size, rainfall or flood extent. Converted wind speeds are rounded to the nearest whole unit.
Archive retrieved
NOAA IBTrACS archive and Field documentation
Sources & methodology