The Atlantic Hurricane Seasonstarts this week, and forecasters are calling for a normal numberof storms—but some warn that the odds are in favor of a U.S.landfall.

Catastrophe-modeler RMS released its pre-season commentary,saying conditions remain right for the total number of tropicalstorms “to be near the long-term average of 10.7 tropicalstorms.”

RMS notes that while some existing conditions could drive higherAtlantic basin-activity, other factors, such as higher wind shearover the Atlantic, have increased “the likelihood of a near-normalseason in 2012.”

Two other prognosticators are also calling for a near-normalseason—but contend that the U.S. is “overdue” for a landfall.

Forecasters Weather Services International (WSI) and TropicalStorm Risk (TSR) each call for an Atlantic hurricane season closeto the long-term average, which is 12 named storms, sevenhurricanes and three intense hurricanes of Category 3 orstronger.

TSR, which is co-sponsored by Aon Benfield, rounds off itsforecast to predict 13 named storms, six hurricanes and threeintense hurricanes.

Of course, it only takes one storm to cause a major event, andMark Saunders, a professor at TSR, says “uncertainties [inforecasts] remain, and we are overdue for U.S. land-fallinghurricane strikes.”

WSI, a member of The Weather Channel Cos., forecasts 11 namedstorms, six hurricanes and two intense hurricanes.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)says in its seasonal forecast that the 2012 Atlantic hurricaneseason will be “near normal” with nine to 15 tropical storms, andfour to eight of those will strengthen into hurricanes.