The world could be headed for one of the strongest El Nino’s in recorded history, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said Thursday, as reported by Time.
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Sea surface temperatures, one measure of an El Nino, increased across parts of the equatorial Pacific, the College Park, Maryland-based center said in a statement Thursday.
Snowfall in the Atlantic states is dependent on the final strength of El Nino; moderate conditions could bring heavy snowfall, while a strong situation would make temperatures too warm for snow.
Forecasters say there’s a greater than 90 percent chance El Nino will continue through this winter, with its impact felt across the country and around the globe.
The Pacific typhoons – and a rare couple of early-season cyclones last month in the South Pacific – have contributed to the strengthening El Nino because they disrupt the trade winds.
The name of this El Nino is Godzilla, referring to its predicted magnitude.
“It could reach or exceed 2 degrees Celsius, a value we have only recorded three times in the last 65 years”, Halpert said on a conference call with reporters.
Forecasters are warning the West Coast could be hit by what may possibly be the strongest El Niño season on record later this year. The resulting El Nino (ehl NEEN’-yoh) changes weather worldwide, mostly affecting the United States in winter. Historical weather data shows us that at best, there is a 50-50 chance of having a wetter winter. “A single El Nino year is unlikely to erase four years of drought in California”.
“It’s important for farmers here in New Zealand to understand that this is a major El Nino that’s living, right now, currently in existence in the tropical Pacific, just north of New Zealand”, she says.
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“At this point, the outlooks do favor below-average precipitation, at least for parts of the Pacific Northwest”, said Halpert. “I just don’t want folks to think they don’t have to conserve because El Nino will save us, or to not understand that a strong El Nino has a downside”.
