Here comes El Nino: It's early, likely to be big, sloppy and add even more heat to a warming world
After months of gradually warming sea surface temperatures in the tropical Pacific Ocean, NOAA officially issued an El Nino advisory Thursday and stated that this one might be different than the others.
UN weather agency predicts rare 'triple-dip' La Nina in 2022
The U.N. weather agency is predicting the phenomenon known as La Nina is poised to last through the end of this year, a mysterious โtriple dipโ โ the first this century โ caused by three straight years of its effect on climate patterns like drought and flooding worldwide.
Winter 20-21 Season: Warmer and much drier than normal
ORLANDO, Fla. โ Strong La Nina conditions persisted for another season across the globe which means a warmer and drier than normal Winter was expected. Although Central Florida fell further into a deficit with rainfall during the winter season, temperatures ran much closer to normal. During January, temperatures fluctuated cooler and warmer than normal periods basically balancing each other out. This see-saw in temperatures over the past three months, in turn, meant a very typical winter season for Central Floridians. Despite the increase in rainfall toward the end of the season, the drier than normal conditions for December and January overshadowed the wetter pattern into February.
Drier than normal dry season continues
Orlando, FLA. โ With a strong La Nina in play across the globe, itโs no surprise that our lawns are extra crunchy this winter. Colder, drier than normal weather has been the trend since the beginning of December with a steady stream of cold fronts sweeping through the area. Although these fronts have ushered in plenty of chilly air this season, they rarely packed much rain. The lack of rain puts many areas on track for one of the driest winters on record. Winter Central FL RankingRainfall Rankings: (Rainfall totals since December 1st)Daytona Beach: 0.69โณ (-3.6โณ below average) 3rd Driest WinterMelbourne: 0.95โณ (-3.0โณ below average) 3rd Driest WinterOrlando: 1.26โณ (-0.2โณ below average)Sanford: 0.64โณ (-3.6โณ below average) 3rd Driest WinterAs of today, we remain drought-free for the majority of Central Florida.
Australia sweltered through its 4th-hottest year in 2020
Australia has sweltered through its fourth-hottest year on record despite the usually cooling impact in recent months of the La Nina climate pattern, the nations weather bureau said on Friday, Jan. 8, 2021. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft,File)CANBERRA โ Australia sweltered through its fourth-hottest year on record last year despite the recent return of the usually cooling La Nina climate pattern, the nationโs weather bureau said on Friday. La Nina, the cooler flipside of the better known El Nino, was declared in the Pacific Ocean in September. La Nina occurs when equatorial trade winds become stronger, changing ocean surface currents and drawing up cooler deep water. The hottest temperature in Australia for 2020 was 48.9 degrees Celsius (120 degrees Fahrenheit) recorded at the height of the wildfire emergency at Penrith in New South Wales state on Jan. 4.
Forecasters: Drought more likely than blizzards this winter
Two-thirds of the United States should get a warmer than normal winter, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicted. Only Washington, northern Idaho, Montana, the Dakotas and northwestern Minnesota, will get a colder than normal winter, forecasters said. The rest of the nation will likely be closer to normal, NOAA said. Judah Cohen, a winter weather specialist for the private firm Atmospheric Environmental Research, sees a harsher winter for the Northeast than NOAA does. But he said La Nina is the strongest indicator among several for what drives winter weather.
Hereโs what NOAAโs winter outlook means for Central Florida
When talking about winter in Florida, itโs not so much about the cold and snow, but the impact it may have on the dry season. Typically in Florida, during a La Nina winter, the season is warmer and drier than normal. For an in-depth look at what La Nina is and how it typically impacts us in Central Florida, click here. La Nina influence is reflected on NOAAโs winter outlook that was released Thursday. Winter forecast from NOAA 2020-2021NOAAโs forecast gives a very high probability of the upcoming winter being drier and warmer than normal.
What La Nina arriving could mean for the rest of hurricane season, Central Florida winter
ORLANDO, Fla. โ Thursday, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration officially declared that La Nina conditions are present. La Nina typically favors an active Atlantic basin during hurricane season, much like weโre seeing now. It had grown increasingly likely over the past few months that La Nina conditions would be around during the peak of hurricane season. This was one of the main factors in the much above average forecasts leading up to and during the current hurricane season. To be classified as a La Nina, sea surface temperature anomalies must greater than or equal to -0.5 degrees celsius.
NOAA issues a La Nina Watch. What that could mean for the peak of hurricane season, Central Florida
ORLANDO, Fla. The two words you dont want to hear during hurricane season is La and Nina. On Thursday, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued a La-Nina watch, meaning conditions are favorable for the development of La-Nina over the next six months. La Nina is a seasonal ocean/atmospheric pattern that develops in the tropical Pacific. During hurricane season, the phase ENSO is in can strongly impact tropical development far away in the Atlantic Basin. The Early-July updated forecasts a higher chance for a full-blown La-Nina developing for the peak of hurricane season (SON).