What Is a Subtropical Storm and How Is It Different From a Tropical Storm? | The Weather Channel – Articles from The Weather Channel

To explain subtropical storms, we need to start by explaining these two different storm types with which subtropical storms share some characteristics.

Tropical storms, or more broadly, tropical cyclones, are low-pressure systems fueled solely by the heat energy released when water vapor evaporated off warm ocean water condenses into liquid. Due to all this heat, the core circulation of a tropical cyclone is warm and its strongest winds are usually found near its center.

With low wind shear and moist air, these tropical storms…