Two Colorado State University forecasters expect the 2015 hurricane season to be one of the quietest since the mid-20th century, according to a report released Thursday.

Philip Klotzbach and William Gray predict seven named storms, three hurricanes and one major hurricane, the report said. The historical averages are 12 named storms, six hurricanes and two major hurricanes.

The report places the possibility of a major hurricane hitting the East Coast at 15 percent, lower than the historical average of 31 percent. The probability of a major hurricane hitting any portion of the United States’ coastline is 28 percent, down from the average of 52 percent, the forecast says.

Klotzbach and Gray also predict only 30 named storm days and 10 hurricane days, both less than 50 percent of the averages.

A major hurricane is a Category 3, 4 or 5 storm with wind speeds of at least 111 mph on the Saffir-Simpson scale.

“The tropical Atlantic has anomalously cooled over the past several months, and the chances of a moderate to strong El Niño event this summer and fall appear to be quite high,” Klotzbach said. “Historical data indicate fewer storms form in these conditions.”

El Niño is a periodic warming of the Pacific Ocean waters that often helps suppress Atlantic hurricane activity.

The report also notes that it is impossible to predict the season each year with perfect accuracy.

Despite the quiet forecast, Klotzbach and Gray said that people in hurricane-prone areas should stay vigilant.

It just takes one hurricane making landfall to cause catastrophic damage. Hurricane Andrew, in 1992, ripped through Florida in an otherwise quiet season.

Last season yielded eight named storms, six hurricanes and two major hurricanes. The Colorado State prediction was for nine named storms, three hurricanes and one major hurricane.

The Atlantic is still technically in an active hurricane phase, which shifts about every one to three decades. This active era started in 1995, but at the National Hurricane Conference last week in Austin, Texas, Klotzbach theorized that the phase could be shifting.

“It’s hard to get, maybe, three quiet seasons in a row in an active era, so perhaps we are moving out of this active period,” he said.

Gray, who has been working on the seasonal forecasts for 31 years, said he is turning over the operation completely to Klotzbach, who joined the team in 2000. Gray said he will stay on in an advisory role but will be spending most of his time working with climate change.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will release its 2015 hurricane season outlook in May.