You are right, there is no immediate response with respect to the coupling of the stratosphere and troposphere, which takes a good 3 weeks to a month for propagation and such. However as referenced in my blog, there is a tendency for a successful SSW to excite the MJO response, which I was tentatively progged at extended leads to be in phase 7 or 8 come mid December. Last season, the MJO was entering a la nina like phase at the time of the SSW, which accentuated deconstructive interference of an el Nino that had already been struggling to couple with the atmosphere. This also created an environment even more hostile to blocking during the subsequent recovery of the PV.
Anyway, I will not be suprised to see it fail because I only expected minor attacks on the PV early this season, from which it will be able to recover. However some guidance suggested that a SSW would indeed take place a week or two back.