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Topic: El Nino, La Nina, ENSO

These maps show two ways of looking at the sea surface temperature anomaly (difference from average), with the Niño-3.4 key monitoring region indicated by the boxes. The top maps shows the traditional sea surface temperature anomaly: the departure of January 2025 sea surface temperature from the 1991–2020 average. For the bottom map, the average anomaly across the entire tropical oceans is also subtracted, highlighting how cool the Niño-3.4 region is relative to the rest of the tropics.

La Nina today, gone tomorrow?

February 18, 2025

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El Nino, La Nina, ENSO

These maps show two ways of looking at the sea surface temperature anomaly (difference from average), with the Niño-3.4 key monitoring region indicated by the boxes. The top maps shows the traditional sea surface temperature anomaly: the departure of January 2025 sea surface temperature from the 1991–2020 average. For the bottom map, the average anomaly across the entire tropical oceans is also subtracted, highlighting how cool the Niño-3.4 region is relative to the rest of the tropics.

Left to right: Monthly temperatures for December, January, and February 2023-2024 compared to the 1991-2020 average for the contiguous United States. Despite a swatch of cooler-than-average temperatures across the central part of the country in January, the winter overall was the warmest in the 130-year record.

Why it was the perfect winter to launch a polar vortex blog

March 21, 2024

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El Nino, La Nina, ENSO

Left to right: Monthly temperatures for December, January, and February 2023-2024 compared to the 1991-2020 average for the contiguous United States. Despite a swatch of cooler-than-average temperatures across the central part of the country in January, the winter overall was the warmest in the 130-year record.

Photo of a man walking along the snow-covered shoreline of Lake Michigan on January 24, 2022 in Chicago, Illinois. After two days of snow, Chicago and much of the Midwest are now bracing for an Arctic blast that is expected to drop temperatures into the single digits and below for the next couple of days.

Blog: How does El Nino influence winter precipitation over the U.S.?

November 30, 2023

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El Nino, La Nina, ENSO

Photo of a man walking along the snow-covered shoreline of Lake Michigan on January 24, 2022 in Chicago, Illinois. After two days of snow, Chicago and much of the Midwest are now bracing for an Arctic blast that is expected to drop temperatures into the single digits and below for the next couple of days.

La Niña causes the jet stream to move northward and to weaken over the eastern Pacific. During La Niña winters, the South sees warmer and drier conditions than usual. The North and Canada tend to be wetter and colder.

'Triple-Dip' La Nina upends current understanding of ENSO

November 8, 2023

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El Nino, La Nina, ENSO

La Niña causes the jet stream to move northward and to weaken over the eastern Pacific. During La Niña winters, the South sees warmer and drier conditions than usual. The North and Canada tend to be wetter and colder.

High tide flooding pushes water onto a walkway along the Boston waterfront near India Wharf in 2016.

U.S. high tide flooding continues to break records

August 22, 2023

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tides and currents

El Nino, La Nina, ENSO

High tide flooding pushes water onto a walkway along the Boston waterfront near India Wharf in 2016.

Atmosphere-ocean feedbacks during El Nino southern oscillation.

Forecasters confident El Nino will continue through winter

July 13, 2023

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El Nino, La Nina, ENSO

Atmosphere-ocean feedbacks during El Nino southern oscillation.

Rip current safety ahead of the July 4th weekend

Protect yourself from rip currents

June 8, 2023

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Topics:

El Nino, La Nina, ENSO

Rip current safety ahead of the July 4th weekend

Difference from average temperature for the year to date (by month) for 2023 (top line, light blue) and all other years where a strong El Niño developed in the second half of the year. During all past years except 1991, the year-to-date temperature anomaly in mid-year held steady or increased as the year progressed. Based on that pattern, the final 2023 average anomaly is unlikely to be smaller than the year-to-date as of May. On that trajectory, 2023 would eventually tie 2020 for second-warmest year on rec

How do NOAA scientists predict the annual global temperature ranking?

June 22, 2023

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El Nino, La Nina, ENSO

Difference from average temperature for the year to date (by month) for 2023 (top line, light blue) and all other years where a strong El Niño developed in the second half of the year. During all past years except 1991, the year-to-date temperature anomaly in mid-year held steady or increased as the year progressed. Based on that pattern, the final 2023 average anomaly is unlikely to be smaller than the year-to-date as of May. On that trajectory, 2023 would eventually tie 2020 for second-warmest year on rec

Wintertime El Nino.

June 2023 ENSO update: El Nino is here

June 9, 2023

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El Nino, La Nina, ENSO

Wintertime El Nino.

Still image from NOAA's Climate Prediction Center Monthly Outlook.

El Nino arrives, expected to be moderate to strong by late fall or early winter

June 8, 2023

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Topics:

El Nino, La Nina, ENSO

Still image from NOAA's Climate Prediction Center Monthly Outlook.

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