University forecasters predict that the 2010 Atlantic hurricane season will be "above-average," with 15 named storms and eight of those becoming hurricanes.

Colorado State University's report from forecasters William Gray and Phil Klotzbach was released Wednesday, more than a month before June 1, the beginning of the Atlantic hurricane season.

The forecasters said that El Nino conditions will dissipate by summer and that unusually warm tropical Atlantic sea surface temperatures will persist, leading to favorable conditions for hurricanes to develop and intensify.

Of the eight expected hurricanes, the forecasters predict that four will strengthen to major hurricanes, meaning Category 3 or higher on the Saffir-Simpson scale. Category 3 storms have sustained winds of at least 111 mph.