In places still scarred by the devastation of recent storms, the anxiety and apprehension that come with the arrival of hurricane season pushes many people to search for any sign — some based more on superstition than science — that might offer predictability in a time of year defined by uncertainty. But this year, two of the more reliable (and meteorologically sound) indications have been sending conflicting signals, injecting volatility into hurricane season as even experts have expressed doub