Early predictions point to an active hurricane season in the Atlantic Ocean. Here's what local residents should know.

Colorado State University, a school renowned for its hurricane research, said it expects “above-normal” tropical activity this year. The early-season prediction, released Thursday, stems from warm sea-surface temperatures, and the potential for conditions that kindle tropical activity.

A warm — yet no longer record-hot — strip of Atlantic waters could help fuel 17 named tropical cyclones this season, Colorado State University researchers said.