List of Category 1 Pacific hurricanes
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Category 1 is the lowest classification on the Saffir–Simpson hurricane wind scale, and categorizes tropical cyclones with 1-minute maximum sustained winds between 64 and 82 knots (74 and 94 mph; 119 and 152 km/h; 33 and 42 m/s). Tropical cyclones that attain such winds and move over land while maintaining those winds are capable of causing minor to moderate damage to human lives and infrastructure. As of 2021, a total of 242 hurricanes have peaked at Category 1 strength within the Northeast Pacific tropical cyclone basin, which is denoted as the part of the Pacific Ocean north of the equator and east of the International Date Line. Collectively, Category 1 hurricanes have killed at least 912 people. This does not include storms that also attained Category 2, 3, 4, or 5 status on the scale.
A combination of many factors serve to influence the development of tropical cyclones in the Northeastern Pacific basin. During the winter and early spring months from December to April, a high-pressure area known as the North Pacific High and a low-pressure area known as the Aleutian Low are present over the Northeastern Pacific, producing strong upper-level winds which inhibit tropical cyclone formation. During the late spring, summer, and fall months from May to November, these effects are reduced or may even vanish altogether, while sea surface temperatures are warm enough to support the development, perhaps even rapid, of tropical cyclones. The El Niño–Southern Oscillation plays a major role in the strength of trade winds and the sea surface temperatures in the tropical Pacific. During El Niño events, trade winds are weaker and sea surface temperatures are warmer, allowing for the development of more cyclones as well as more intense hurricanes, while the effects of La Niña are the opposite.