Hurricane Adolph of the 2001 Pacific hurricane season was the first and one of only two East Pacific hurricanes in May to reach Category 4 strength on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale since record keeping began in the East Pacific, with the other being Amanda of 2014. Adolph was the first depression of the season, forming on May 25; it became a hurricane three days later. After rapidly intensifying, Adolph became the most powerful storm in terms of maximum sustained winds this season, along with Hurricane Juliette. The storm briefly threatened land before dissipating on June 1, after moving over colder waters. Meteorological history On May 7, a tropical wave left the coast of Africa. The wave moved across the Atlantic Ocean showing little signs of development until May 18, when a low pressure center began organizing along the wave over Costa Rica and Panama. The low entered the Pacific Ocean on May 22, and Dvorak classifications—satellite-based intensity estimates—began two days later. At first the system was disorganized, but convection quickly concentrated near the center, and on May 25 the disturbance developed into Tropical Depression One-E while located about south-southwest of Acapulco, Mexico. The newly formed depression moved very slowly due to weak steering currents aloft. Moving towards the east-northeast over weak steering currents, the computer models used to predict the movement of the depression varied greatly, with one predicting an eventual Mexican landfall. Located in conditions ideal for tropical development, the developing cyclone formed a central dense overcast, a large area of deep convection. The depression steadily intensified to become Tropical Storm Adolph on May 26 about south-southwest of Acapulco. Adolph was in a low wind shear environment with warm sea surface temperatures and as such, the NHC forecasted intensification to hurricane status within two days. Adolph turned northward on May 27, a turn influenced by a mid-level ridge building to the east and southeast, thus causing the tropical storm to approach Mexico. A banding eye feature, a type of eye common in minor hurricanes, became apparent on satellite imagery. Convection around the eye deepened while the eye became more pronounced, and Adolph was upgraded to hurricane strength on May 27. On May 28, the hurricane passed within roughly 165 mi (265 km) of the Mexican coastline the next day, its closest approach to land. Shortly thereafter, Adolph turned westward under the influence of a mid-tropospheric ridge. The high upper-oceanic