Trades & El Nino

[dhusselman]

Is there any information on how an El Nino year is different from other years? Is it more likely that the high is broken up? Are the trade winds impacted, etc?

Thanks,

Dirk "TIJD" - First 30JK

[Steevee]

My understanding is trade winds tend to weaken during El Nino years.
ttp://ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu/(Gh)/gui.../eln/elyr.rxml

[Steevee]

Sorry... Try that link again
http://ttp://ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu/(.../eln/elyr.rxml

[Steevee]

http:/http://ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu/(.../eln/elyr.rxml

[svShearwater]

This is mostly anecdotal, but the last time we had a strong El Nino like this in the winter of 97/98 the 98 races to Hawaii were breezy I'm told. That said, I don't think this El Nino has conformed all that well to the stereotype. Lots of rain in Cali? Sure. Lots of rain in Seattle? Well, that wasn't suppose to happen. Lots of rain in Texas? We had record rain in 2015 and then went 45 days in 2016 without any rainfall.

It seems there is a lot more to the trades than El Nino. There is also the PDO and MJO. How the 3 of those interact in their cycles is pretty much a mystery.