EL Nino Declared for 2019

On February 14 the El Nino weather pattern was officially declared for the spring of 2019 by the NOAA. El Nino is characterized by warmer than average water in the southern pacific. The way El Nino changes weather patterns varies depending on the place.

Much of the southeast can expect more wet and cooler conditions than average. However, Atlanta lays in between projections for heavy rains, and the drier weather expected for the Appalachians. This El Nino is very low strength so effects on our weather will likely be minimal. That being said, the large blocks of rain we’ve been seeing recently can be accredited to El Nino. In January alone, Atlanta surpassed the average monthly rainfall by 1.8 inches. Even if the weather in Atlanta continues to experience a severe shift, an El Nino of this strength should only last about 6 months.

El Nino’s impact on the severe weather patterns in the US goes both ways for the southeast. The wetter conditions could make tornadoes more frequent in the midwest and southeast through the spring. On the bright side, the Atlantic hurricane season for 2019 is predicted to be more mild than in past years. Compared to the past two years of brutal hurricanes hitting the southern US, this year should provide a much needed break.

Across the rest of North America, weather conditions will be largely the same. Most of the northwest, western Canada, and Alaska will have above average temperatures and the northeast, will have more mild conditions going into this spring and summer.

Nobody likes the constant rain and additional severe storms brought during El Nino and El Nino conditions have become more common over the past decades due to climate change. This year serves as a reminder on why we need to pursue ways to curb climate change in the coming decades.

By Jake Bogartz