Q&A

What does El Nino mean for Ohio?

What does El Nino mean for Ohio?

Hear this out loudPauseLombardy said El Niño causes a different jet stream pattern that sends cold air south through the Great Lakes and into Northeast Ohio. That brings colder air and more lake-effect snow until the lake freezes over.

Is 2021 winter El Nino or La Niña?

Hear this out loudPause— Forecasters with the National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center said La Niña conditions were favored to develop by winter 2021-22. La Niña is the cold phase of a fluctuating climate pattern known as the El Niño Southern Oscillation. The strength of each phase usually peak during the winter months.

Will Ohio get any more snow this year?

Hear this out loudPauseWinter Forecast for Ohio 2020-2021 Businesses may be pleased to learn that Ohio is not expecting any more than normal levels of snowfall, but will also be acutely aware that even average snowfall can cause problems. The cold and flaky temperatures, however, present an opportunity for ice formation and slipping hazards.

What does La Niña mean for Ohio winter?

Hear this out loudPauseLa Nina tends to shift storm tracks a little further south compared to normal, with the Ohio River Valley region being a favored area for winter storms. This places our region on the very northern edge of many winter storms.

Why is it so rainy in Ohio?

Hear this out loudPauseWarmer weather causes more evaporation to occur, which puts more water into the atmosphere. That water vapor eventually falls as rain. Despite the increased precipitation, Ohio still suffers periods of drought as well.

Is the Ohio Valley affected by El Nino?

The frequency of an ENSO response is apparently high enough so that ENSO considerations should be incorporated into long range winter outlooks for the Ohio Valley and lower Great Lakes, especially if a strong El Niño is in progress. This information is available via the Climate Analysis Center at the National Meteorological Center.

When does El Nino occur in the Great Lakes?

Correlations are established between occurrences of El Niño/Southern Oscillations and climatic changes in the Ohio Valley and southern Great Lakes region of the United States. During El Niño winters, considered November to March in this study, temperatures usually averaged above normal, while precipitation averaged below normal.

When was the last El Nino in the United States?

Median or above-median precipitation was recorded over the entire state during strong episodes in both 1957/58 and 1972/73 (Figure 2). However, strong events in 1991/92 and 2009/10 only provided small surpluses in the southern part of the state, while precipitation during 1965/66 was generally average to below-average across the state. Figure 2.

How are El Nino and La Nina related?

According to the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) there are two major compact weather patterns that result from variations in ocean temperatures in the equatorial Pacific. There are two opposite phases in the El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) cycle called El Nino and La Nina.