ORLANDO, Fla. -- Colorado State University's Department of Atmospheric Science and researchers for its Tropical Meteorology Project have adjusted their hurricane predictions for the 2018 season.

Experts have lowered early forecast numbers, calling for a below average Atlantic season ahead.

This is a bit different than their April early predictions of a slightly above average season. The original CSU forecast called for 14 named storms, seven of them hurricanes, three becoming major hurricanes.

Now the numbers have been adjusted down to 11 named storms, four of them becoming hurricanes, and one a major hurricane.

So why the change?

Our Weather Experts at Spectrum News have been talking about unfavorable conditions over much of the Atlantic over the past few weeks in our Tropical Update segments, including a steady plume of Saharan dust coming off the coast of Africa.

The dust in the upper atmosphere keeps it more stable. Sea surface temps in the upper 60s along the African coast, and low to mid-70s over the eastern Atlantic are not at all conducive to tropical development. Storms of tropical nature feed off water temps that are 80 or greater.

NOAA also issues hurricane forecasts, and as of their announcement in May, they were calling for a near or above normal Atlantic hurricane season this year.

They will issue an updated outlook in early August.