First, this is a genuinely interesting, informative, and educational blog, one which I try to follow on a regular basis.  It is abundantly clear that its writers know their topic well, and that anyone who reads it will learn something new and interesting.  So, keep up the good work.

Second is my question: I know that past posts have indicated that we are still in a La Niña, plus the weather this past summer in Oklahoma (hotter and drier than normal) reinforced that, as did what I heard of the southwestern monsoon (very wet).  However, I've noticed that, while the tropical Atlantic has been quiet (they're now only on named storm number 5), the tropical eastern Pacific has been quite active (including several hurricanes and a couple of major ones), plus TD 12-E is currently forecast to move north along Baja California (not normal).

Too, I know that there are other factors at play, such as the Atlantic multidecadal oscillation and the Madden-Julian Oscillation.  That said, it is odd that, in a La Niña year, the tropics in the Atlantic would be this quiet.  So, what's the deal with why the Atlantic has been so quiet while the eastern Pacific has been so busy?