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2014 ENSO Mega Thread


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I don't think you get a supr El Niño during cold-phase PDO cycle. At most you get a repeat of 2009-10 or 1972-3; short duration but fairly strong Niño, with suer-fast plunges into Niña territory.  Both 1972-3 and 2009-10 ended that way.

 

Interestingly, the PDO has very much trended positive over the last 3 months.  We're unarguably in a -PDO long-term mode if one looks at 10 or 30 year moving averages, but even -PDOs have positive "blips". 

 

I'd agree that it's too early to call for a super El Nino given the fact that none of the warming has yet to reach the surface and the deep water analyses can occasionally be unreliable (and just based upon rarity of a super Nino alone), but I wouldn't rule out the possibility either. 

post-378-0-01515900-1393866777_thumb.gif

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Interestingly, the PDO has very much trended positive over the last 3 months.  We're unarguably in a -PDO long-term mode if one looks at 10 or 30 year moving averages, but even -PDOs have positive "blips". 

 

I'd agree that it's too early to call for a super El Nino given the fact that none of the warming has yet to reach the surface and the deep water analyses can occasionally be unreliable (and just based upon rarity of a super Nino alone), but I wouldn't rule out the possibility either. 

attachicon.gifcompday.9r1y4WhrJy.gif

 

The positive PDO numbers correlate with the anamolous ridge over that area much of the winter.

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Hi all,

 

My intentions were not to express that we are going into a super El Nino- They were to state that the potential is there to go into one. We still need to see the atmosphere behave appropriately this upcoming spring. In order to get the eastward push of the warm pool across the Basin, we are going to need to some strong atmospheric forcing, likely through strong tropical cyclones close to the equator to achieve the "Super El Nino" state. The current Oceanic Kelvin wave is just as strong, if not stronger now, than the one that preceded the 1997 Nino. Further, we do see an atmosphere that appears to be trending to the El Nino. A second, more impressive westerly wind burst is currently underway. Note that each WWB is occurring a bit further east with time, indicating of a slow eastward adjustment to Nino.

 

u.total.90.5S-5N.gif

 

 

Dr. Roundy has commented on this second WWB on the Tropical Storms National emailing list, alluded to it being stronger than any WWB that was observed in 1997.

 

Further, we are seeing more frequent "Pineapple Expresses", and the medium-to-subseasonal forecast calls for wet conditions across much of the Pacific Northwest Basin.

 

Right now, I believe the most likely outcome is some sort of Modiki, but if we get a strong central-western Pacific typhoon near the equator, I would favor a complete reconstruction of the thermocline.

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the winter turned out to be a neutral negative but a strong one if there is such a thing...Oni for DJF was -0.7 which is in weak la nina territory...there hasn't been an el nino since 2009-10...odds favor an el nino or neutral plus coming up but that remeins to be seen...

http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/analysis_monitoring/lanina/enso_evolution-status-fcsts-web.pdf

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Interesting how California is going through one of its worst droughts ever and there's a possibility of a strong El Nino on the way.

If it is still going next Winter.  It should be if it doesn't come on until Summer.

 

 

Although I've seen two very different thing about warm ENSO and California.  Usually good for wet Texas Winters anyway, and even the ice storms have been pathetically dry.

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So, of course the question becomes, possible analogs?  That may sound like a weenie question but it's not.  The main concern is in terms of drought relief.  It's early and every one is different, but '57 would have to be thrown in the hat because it is one that occurred after a long string of Ninas/Negative Neutrals.  

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So, of course the question becomes, possible analogs?  That may sound like a weenie question but it's not.  The main concern is in terms of drought relief.  It's early and every one is different, but '57 would have to be thrown in the hat because it is one that occurred after a long string of Ninas/Negative Neutrals.  

 

1957 was very active severe weather wise, essentially across the entire country (if we are talking about this year) which was then followed by a strong Nino into 1958. The actual Nino conditions in 3.4 began in the MAM period.

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It seems virtually impossible this El Nino could be anything more than weak, not one of the ENSO models I last saw showed anything over 1.0C next winter, as far as I know while not perfect the ENSO model predictions tend to not be too bad at a 8-9 month range, I couldn't envision them being off 2 categories on the Nino strength but I guess anything can occur.

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this weeks oni was -0.6 and DJF was -0.7...That's four straight years without and el nino...

year....nino start......

1951.......JJA........

1957.......MAM.....

1963.......MJJ.......

1965.......AMJ......

1968.......JAS......

1972.......AMJ.....

1976.......ASO....

1977.......ASO....

1982.......AMJ.....

1986.......JAS.....

1991.......AMJ....

1994.......ASO...

1997.......AMJ....

2002.......AMJ....

2004.......JJA.....

2006.......ASO...

2009.......JJA.....

the earliest el nino was 1957 with the first trimonthly being MAM...1965, 1972, 1982, 1991, 1997, 2002 started AMJ...1963, was MJJ...1951, 2004, 2009 were JJA...1968, 1986 were JAS...latest years were 1976 and 1977 coming in at ASO...76 and 77 were weak enso events...the three very strong el nino's 1972, 1982 and 1997 started during the AMJ period...

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most of the strongest El Nino's developed in the April/May/June trimonthly period...most of the weaker ones developed in the August/September/October trimonthly period...none of the strong el nino's developed in the ASO period and no weak el nino developed in the AMJ period...

year....oni max......nino start...MEI max

1997...2.4....AMJ.....................2.999

1982...2.2....AMJ.....................3.039

1972...2.1....AMJ.....................1.911

1965...1.9....AMJ.....................1.483

1957...1.8....MAM....................1.453

1991...1.6....AMJ.....................2.271

2009...1.6....JJA......................1.517

1963...1.4....MJJ......................0.856

1986...1.3....JAS.....................2.122

2002...1.3....AMJ.....................1.158

1951...1.2....JJA......................0.858

1994...1.2....ASO....................1.434

2006...1.0....ASO....................1.290

1976...0.8....ASO....................1.026

1977...0.8....ASO....................1.007

2004...0.8....JJA......................1.018

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If it is still going next Winter.  It should be if it doesn't come on until Summer.

 

 

Although I've seen two very different thing about warm ENSO and California.  Usually good for wet Texas Winters anyway, and even the ice storms have been pathetically dry.

The event of last Monday night into Tuesday were anything beyond pathetically dry. I measured .87 inches of ZR and even thunder ZR during the overnight hours of March 3rd-4th  and some locations in Western Harris/NW Harris/Waller/Montgomery and Liberty Counties exceeded 1 inch amounts. While the 'official' record at IAH were a bit below the .50 inch mark, the temperature holding steady at 31-32 degrees literally saved our Region from a far worse situation than we experienced and may well have produced an Ice Storm far greater the 1997. Portions of far NW Harris and SW Montgomery Counties had significant issues with downed trees and extended power outages.

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Based on conflicting signals is there a chance of more of a Madoki El Nino or more of a traditional one

I am not a professional meteorologist but I am interested. How is a "Madoki El Niño" different from what has been on this board called a "west-based" El Niño"?

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I am not a professional meteorologist but I am interested. How is a "Madoki El Niño" different from what has been on this board called a "west-based" El Niño"?

 

Generally a Modoki El Nino (Central Pacific El Nino) is further west than the traditional east-based Nino off the coast of South America. Not sure in terms of context between it and a "west-based" Nino.

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Based on conflicting signals is there a chance of more of a Madoki El Nino or more of a traditional one

 

IF we get no more atm forcing, the most likely out come is a modiki. But if we get some strong typhoons to spin up close to the date line over the next two months, I would place bets on a full out el nino. 1997 had a Super Typhoon accelerate the warm pool eastward during April. 

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Generally a Modoki El Nino (Central Pacific El Nino) is further west than the traditional east-based Nino off the coast of South America. Not sure in terms of context between it and a "west-based" Nino.

"West-based El Nino" and "Modoki El Nino" are interchangable AFAIK; I've never heard anyone refer to it as the former though. JBG, here's an idea of what each look like. Note in the 1997 graphic, the warmest ocean anomalies are situated southeast of Hawaii, near the East Pacific-Central Pacific border (140W). Meanwhile, note how the warmest ocean anomalies are situated off the coast of South America in the second image. The first is a Modoki El Nino, the second is a traditional El Nino. Traditional El Ninos are much more detrimental to Atlantic hurricane activity, while Modoki El Ninos may actually *enhance* activity (ex. 2004).

 

R0yhqN2.png

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"West-based El Nino" and "Modoki El Nino" are interchangable AFAIK; I've never heard anyone refer to it as the former though

Some examples here, of the rather common reference to "West-based" El Niños":Those are three (3) posts referring to that phenomena. It sounds similar to the "Modoki El Nino".

 

 

. JBG, here's an idea of what each look like. Note in the 1997 graphic, the warmest ocean anomalies are situated southeast of Hawaii, near the East Pacific-Central Pacific border (140W). Meanwhile, note how the warmest ocean anomalies are situated off the coast of South America in the second image. The first is a Modoki El Nino, the second is a traditional El Nino. Traditional El Ninos are much more detrimental to Atlantic hurricane activity, while Modoki El Ninos may actually *enhance* activity (ex. 2004).

I have always heard of 1997-8 being referred to as "east-based" or "basin wide." Not sure about 2004-5.
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This is pretty impressive. As far as this Spring/Summer goes, years that featured a flip from a neg-neutral ENSO to a Nino that would go on to max out in excess of +1.5 (which certainly appears to be a possibility given the strength of the warm pool, we are well ahead of 2009 at this point and even have some leads on 1997 especially if we do see more eastward progression) include 1957, 1965, 1972, 1982, 1997 and 2009.

 

tlon_heat.gif

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http://www.climatece...-for-2014-17052


 


http://havlin.biu.ac.il/PS/Improved%20El%20Nino%20forecasting%20by%20cooperativity%20detection.pdf


 


The new study, by an international group of researchers, takes a starkly different approach to El Niño forecasting compared to conventional techniques. While the forecast models in use today tend to rely on observations of the ocean conditions and trade winds that generally blow from east to west across the tropical Pacific, the new method relies on an index that compares surface air temperatures in the area where El Niño events typically occur with temperatures across the rest of the Pacific.


 


 


The researchers found that a strong link between air temperatures across the Pacific and air temperatures in region where El Niño forms appears about one calendar year before an actual El Niño event. Taking advantage of this observation, the scientists devised a forecasting index based on the strength of the links between temperatures in and around the El Niño region. This index, the study said, points to a high likelihood of an upcoming El Niño late in 2014.


“Our approach uses another route,” said study coauthor Armin Bunde, a scientist at the Institute for Theoretical Physics in Giessen, Germany, in an email conversation. “We do not consider the water  temperature in a specific area of the Pacific Ocean, but the atmospheric temperatures in all areas of the Pacific.”


 Despite its importance, conventional forecasting is still limited to 6 mo ahead. Recently, we developed an approach based on network analysis, which allows projection of an El Niño event about 1 y ahead. Here we show that our method correctly predicted the absence of El Niño events in 2012 and 2013 and now announce that our approach indicated (in September 2013 already) the return of El Niño in late 2014 with a 3-in-4 likelihood.


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