On December 9 , 2009 , the Colorado State University made their first forecast for the 2010 hurricane season . They said there would be 11 to 16 named storms , 6 to 8 hurricanes and 3 to 5 major hurricanes . On December 9 , 2009 , Klotzbach 's team issued their first extended-range forecast for the 2010 season , predicting average to above-average activity ( 11 to 16 named storms , six to eight hurricanes and three to five major hurricanes of Category 3 or higher and ACE Index of 100 â `` 162 ) , citing that the 2009 â `` 10 El NiÃ o event is likely to dissipate by the start of the season .