La Nina has been officially declared over by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The weather pattern typically means cooler temperatures and heavier rain for the country’s northwest, as seen this winter. Yet the NOAA says you can expect a calm period as the atmosphere off the pacific ocean has transitioned to neutral. Yet, the Climate Prediction Center suggests El Nino may be just around the corner. Prediction models show a 50% chance of a shift to El Nino by summer.
El Nino occurs when the waters in the Pacific warm and lead to increased rainfall, largely for the southernmost parts of the U.S. Though meteorologist Chris Smallcomb at the Reno National Weather Service office says not to expect much of an impact to NE California as he shared the relationship between the patterns have become less significant. Smallcomb adds with an already saturated ground, if the region was to experience an average or above average winter, more hazardous conditions such as flooding and avalanches are more likely to happen earlier in the season.
The weather administration added an interesting fact that records dating back to 1950 indicate that the country has not gone more than four years in a row without an El Nino year, and if the 23/24 season is missed, that will make it five years without one.
The NOAA will monitor El Nino’s development and issue the next update on May 11th.
Photo curtosey: NOAA
