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. A major hurricane is a Category 3 storm or higher on the Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Scale. On April 7, 2010, they made another forecast: 15 named storms, 8 hurricanes and 4 very strong hurricanes. They said the season would be active because of several things, including warm ocean waters, which make hurricanes stronger. North Carolina State University said that 2010 would have 15 to 18 named storms, and 8–11 would become hurricanes. On May 27, 2010, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) put out their forecast for the season. They said it would be "extremely active", with 14 to 23 named storms, 8 to 14 hurricanes, and 3 to 7 very strong hurricanes.