Hurricane Tico - October 18-24, 1983
Tropical Depression #22-E - October 17-19, 1983

During October 7th and 8th, a tropical disturbance moved into the eastern Pacific.  It moved slowly westward
and intensified as it approached the 100th meridian.  By the morning of the 11th, it became a tropical depression
well south of Acapulco.  Stengthening into a tropical storm on the afternoon of the 12th, the system began to move
north.  Acheiving hurricane status on the 13th, Tico drifted onto a more westerly trajectory as a ridge to its north
intensified.  Meanwhile, Tropical Depression #22 formed to its east and moved into southern Mexico on its
eastern periphery.  Tico reached its peak on the afternoon of the 16th as it began to recurve to the east of a deepening
trough across northern Baja California.  The cyclone accelerated northeast and roared ashore the Pacific coast
of Mexico near Mazatlan.  Its surface circulation linked up with a frontal boundary and created flooding rains
across Oklahoma and north Texas.  The Red River rose to its highest recorded stage in 40-60 years due to the rainfall
from Tico.

Below are the 850-hPa level maps for the environment around Tico, prepared by Wes Junker from the North
American Regional Reanalysis.
Tico 850 hPa level maps

Below are the 250-hPa level maps for the environment around Tico, prepared by Wes Junker from the North
American Regional Reanalysis.
250 hPa level charts for Tico

The storm total rainfall maps below were constructed using data from the National Climatic Data Center and the
Comision Nacional del Agua, the parent agency of Mexico's national weather service.  Note the maxima near and
east of the cyclone's points of landfall in Mexico.   The maximum in the United States was initially left of track as it
moved into the southern Plains as a frontal wave, but then shifted right of track as it occluded.

Tico (1983) Storm Total Rainfall
Tico (1983) Storm Total Rainfall Tico (1983) Storm Total Rainfall