Averages:
The average seasonal activity in the East Pacific Basin is 16 named storms, 9 hurricanes and 4 major hurricanes.
2006 season summary:
Nineteen named storms formed in the East Pacific Hurricane basin during the 2006 season, which is above average. Eleven of these storms were classified as hurricanes and 6 storms were major hurricanes (category 3-5 on the Saffir-Simpson Scale). Perhaps the most notable hurricane of the season was Ioke, which became a category 5 hurricane on August 26th. Ioke crossed the International Date Line into the western Pacific, the first category 5 storm to do this since 1994. Super Typhoon Ioke continued on a westerly track before weakening. For more information on Ioke, see the August summary below.
Three tropical storms made landfall in Mexico during the 2006 season. John was a category 2 storm when it came ashore near the southern tip of the Baja Peninsula in August. Hurricane Lane was the strongest storm to make landfall in the East Pacific during the 2006 season. This storm was a category 3 when it hit land in the Sinaloa State of Mexico in mid-September. Hurricane John came ashore as a tropical depression in October also in Sinaloa.
In November, Tropical Storm Rosa and Hurricane Sergio formed: the first time since the 1961 season two named storms formed in November in the East North Pacific basin. Sergio strengthened into a strong category 2 storm and became the strongest hurricane to form or exist in this basin during the month of November. For additional information on these and all the 2006 season storms, see the summaries below.
More statistical information may be found on NCDC's 2006 Northeast Pacific Tropical Cyclone statistics page.
We mustn't forget Global Warming is a "Global" phenomenon, so we have to look at the entire planet when determining whether things are steadily getting worse.
TripleB please, please, please watch "An Inconvenient Truth" and then come back to this thread. I ask this in all sincerity. The film addresses all of your points. It talks about how Global Warming affects pockets of the planet at different times. One area of the planet may be experiencing the worst floods ever, while their neighbor less than 100 miles away will be experiencing their worst drought ever. I know you have mentioned all the unusual snow fall out west as a indicator that Global Warming may not be as bad as everyone is saying, but on the contrary it is saying the exact opposite. I honestly believe that if you watch the film you may begin to see things differently not because you have been duped by hollywood, but rather because you will see all the discussions from all sides together in one comprehensive overview.