[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

Why did this term just come out now, this year?

I don't remember anyone saying this term before, they were saying Tropical Depression or Wave.

[TexasGurl24]

It’s been a term for a long time. The NHC has officially used the term since 1972. Subtropical systems tend to be much weaker than tropical systems and few progress to the point where they receive names. The systems can also transition into tropical storms.

[BBell]

In the North Atlantic basin, subtropical cyclones were initially named from the NATO phonetic alphabet list in the early to mid-1970s.[5] In the intervening years of 1975–2001, subtropical storms were either named from the traditional list and considered tropical in real-time, or used a separate numbering system.

Hurricane Gustav of 2002 was the first Subtropical Storm to receive a name but became tropical shortly after naming. Subtropical Storm Nicole, from the 2004 Atlantic hurricane season was the first subtropical storm that did not become tropical since the policy change.