I hear conflicting reports of ENSO effects. Some data I saw from a Midwest
climatic research center suggested that these warm ENSO events have in the
past triggered extremely dry fall and winter conditions in W Ore, W Wash,
and Southern W. BC.

Eric Henriksen

On Thursday, September 18, 1997 3:41 AM, jcbowling at mindlink.bc.ca
[SMTP:jcbowling at mindlink.bc.ca] wrote:
> Peggi wrote -
>
> > Hi Tweets, thought this might interest you. Although El Nino hasn't
reached
>
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
^^^^^^
> > us yet, it looks like one hell of a winter coming up. I don't know how
much
> ^^^^^^^
> > this will affect the Pacific Northwest, but I'm sure we'll get
clobbered here.
>
> This is a misconception. Although the core of warmest water is near the
equator,
> the effects of the current ENSO have already reached well north. Sea
surface
> temperatures in the Gulf of Alaska are presently about 4 or 5 Celsius
degrees
> above the seasonal average; and some Alaskan shelf waters are up to 10
degrees
> above normal. There is no doubt now that this event will surpass that of
1982-83
> in magnitude. It has already affected the food chain in the PNW with
Ocean
> Sunfish being seen in Queen Charlotte Sound off northern Van. I.
recently, and
> mackerel in abundance offshore. And yes, the cumulative effects are now
starting
> to affect our weather, as we shall see over the next week or so as we
warm up
> under an El Nino-influenced ridge of high pressure.
>
> - Jack
>
>
>
> Jack Bowling
> Prince George, BC
> jcbowling at mindlink.bc.ca
>