Nicole began with an upper tropospheric trough and a decaying frontal system over the southwestern North Atlantic in early October. By October 8, a broad area of surface low pressure formed about 400 miles (640 km) southeast of Bermuda. The system soon began to produce gale-force winds, affecting Bermuda on October 9. Early the next day, the National Hurricane Center said that the low-pressure system had sufficient tropical characteristics to be classified as a subtropical storm, and was given the name "Nicole".