As a hurricane moves toward higher latitudes and cooler waters, its intensity tends to ____________.

As a hurricane moves toward higher latitudes and cooler waters, its intensity tends to decrease. This occurs primarily due to the reduction in warm water, which is essential for sustaining and intensifying hurricanes. Warm ocean water serves as the energy source for these storms, providing the heat and moisture necessary for their development and maintenance.

As the hurricane travels into cooler waters, the energy available to the storm diminishes, leading to a decline in its strength and organization. Additionally, increased wind shear and interactions with land masses often accompany the movement into higher latitudes, further contributing to the weakening process.

The idea that hurricane intensity could remain constant or increase is inconsistent with the fundamental dynamics of storm behavior in response to changing environmental conditions. While there can be localized variations in intensity due to atmospheric conditions, the overarching trend as hurricanes transition into cooler regions is a decrease in intensity. Varying unpredictably may occur in some cases, but it does not reflect the consistent trend observed in most cases of hurricanes moving away from their ideal warm water environment.