Update [Wednesday January 13, 2016 at 5 pm AST]
Sub-Tropical Storm Alex has formed in the East Atlantic. As discussed below, Alex is only the second-known storm to form during the month of January in the 174-year database (1842-present).
Previous Discussion about Alex and Winter Tropical Storm Stats
At 2 pm EST on January 12, the National Hurricane Center raised the probability of tropical cyclone formation within the next 48 hours in the East Atlantic to 50%. Although this system will not affect the United States, it is certainly very interesting for this time of year.