By Rod Hill on 2010-08-10
New research discovers reason for our cool and cloudy summer. The discovery is linked to El Nino, a warming of Pacific equatorial waters and La Nina, a cooling of the same water. Last winter's pleasant and dry weather was linked to an El Nino Pattern. Since June of this spring, the waters have been cooling and transitioning to a La Nina pattern, expected to continue through this coming winter. New research details that when a rapid transition occurs during the early summer months from El Nino to La Nina, the result is a period of low pressure troughs near and over the Pacific Northwest. This trough pattern which we have had all summer, produces a consistent northwest flow that leads to marine clouds and cool days. This new research will for the first time, enable forecasters to predict the possibility of a cool summer whenever a rapid transition to La Nina is expected during the mentioned time frame. This is a "big deal" because up until now, the science has offered very little prediction confidence for the summer season in general.
Growing Confidence Of Cooler, Wet Winter