The 1972 Atlantic hurricane season was a significantly below average season, having only seven named storms, four fully tropical storms and three subtropical storms. It officially began on June 1, 1972, and lasted until November 30, 1972. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic basin. The first storm, Subtropical Storm Alpha, developed on May 23 off the Southeast United States and struck Florida, causing minor damage and two fatalities.

A subtropical cyclone is a weather system that has some characteristics of both tropical and extratropical cyclones.