COLLEGE PARK, MD - These stormy El Niño days are not going away anytime soon, experts say. A new forecast from the Climate Prediction Center (CPC) predicts this year’s system to be nearing its peak before it starts to weaken late spring or early summer.
The CPC, which releases an El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) advisory update every second Thursday of each month, said in its most recent report that well above-average sea surface temperatures and several other oceanic anomalies “reflect the continuation of a strong El Niño episode.”
“Most models indicate that a strong El Niño will weaken with a transition to ENSO-neutral during the late spring or early summer,” the report explains. “The forecasters are in agreement with the model consensus, though the exact timing of the transition is difficult to predict.”
Mike Halpert, Deputy Director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Climate Prediction Center joined reporters for a conference call following the release of the forecast.
“We just entered the period when we see peak impacts over North America,” Halpert said. "The current El Nino will remain strong through the winter, gradually weakening through the spring.”
While the report did not address what this could mean exactly as far as precipitation, previous El Niños suggest increased stormy weather, which potentially will add to the snowpack to alleviate some of California’s drought conditions.
As El Niño continues to potentially affect the production and transit of fresh produce, AndNowUKnow will continue to update the industry.
