La Nina weather phenomenon is coming: WMO

[Celebration]

http://www.physorg.com/news11402.html

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said it saw unprecedented signs pointing to a looming La Nina, a phenomenon that originates off the western coast of South America but can disrupt weather patterns in many parts of the globe.

In a press release, the Geneva-based agency said temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific had been between 0.5 and 1.0 C (0.9 and 1.8 F) below normal since the start of the 2006.

"Combined with broader tropical Pacific ocean and atmosphere conditions, this is consistent with the early stages of a basin-wide La Nina event," it said.

"(...) It is unprecedented in the historical record for a La Nina of substantial intensity or duration to develop so early in the year."

[Richard D]

1. Dang . . .

. . . just what the southwest needs. More dry hot weather. Guess we need to get used to weirdness.

more info:

Typical La Niña Impacts
La Niña tends to bring nearly opposite effects of El Niño to the United States — wetter than normal conditions across the Pacific Northwest and dryer and warmer than normal conditions across much of the southern tier. The impacts of El Niño and La Niña at these latitudes are most clearly seen in wintertime. In the continental U.S., during El Niño years, temperatures in the winter are warmer than normal in the North Central States, and cooler than normal in the Southeast and the Southwest. During a La Niña year, winter temperatures are warmer than normal in the Southeast and cooler than normal in the Northwest.

[TrogL]

3. Ok that would explain the lack of snowfall up here

We finally got one snowfall earlier in the week. The last proper snow we got was early November. Normally we're up to our eyeballs in the stuff.

[Toots]

24. I have a friend that lives in Alaska and he told me both Jan and Feb were

way warmer than normal. In fact January was ten degrees above average and had set a record. Not sure if that has any bearing on the La Nina issue or not but supposedly Northwest was to be cooler and that ain't happening.

[stepnw1f]

2. In Addition to Global Warming

aint letting the right wingers blame everything on some cyclical weather patterns.

[monktonman]

4. Actually..

osama bin ladin controls the weather

[stepnw1f]

5. I Thought That Was Bush

I confuse the two.

[mom cat]

6. Welcome to DU monktonman!

:hi: Enjoy the addiction.

[jus_the_facts]

8. Weather Modification Research/Technology Transfer Authorization Act of '05

....it's anybody's guess who is controlling what these days isn't it. :tinfoilhat: is on TIGHTER every day that goes by.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=132&topic_id=2453232

4) WEATHER MODIFICATION- The term `weather modification' means changing or controlling, or attempting to change or control, by artificial methods the natural development of atmospheric cloud forms or precipitation forms which occur in the troposphere.




(assessments and evaluations of the efficacy of weather modification, both purposeful (including cloud-seeding operations) and inadvertent (including downwind effects and anthropogenic effects).

[WhiteTara]

20. actually only Clenis has that power

welcome to DU :hi: monktonman

[SpiralHawk]

7. Several Mayan elders recently told me this is the year of Ik

Ik in their tradition is the whirlwind, and hummingbird

Ik brings Great Storms, and inspiration

But the people must engage their wills to draw the inspiration in, and then do something with it

This is how they told it to me, and this is how I tell it to you, SH

[Delphinus]

22. Thank you, SpiralHawk.

I hope to do exactly what you say.

[Judi Lynn]

25. Thanks for passing this on. n/t

[phantom power]

9. In other news...

WASHINGTON -- Brace yourself, coastal America. The hurricane season that begins June 1 may be worse than the last two, said Max Mayfield, director of the National Hurricane Center. And the last two were doozies.

There are several reasons:

# A historic cycle in which there have been more hurricanes and storms with great intensity.

# La Nina effect -- unusually cold Pacific Ocean temperatures that spawn more hurricanes in the Atlantic.

# Possibly, global warming or other environmental causes.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=115&topic_id=44772&mesg_id=44772

[Joanne98]

10. Is La Nina the opposite of La Nino?

Because La Nino suppresses hurricanes.

[msgadget]

11. Damn, and I never finished figuring out EL Nino...

wonder how bad the dry spell and monsoons will be and if aid will be required.

(that's a great site, thanks for linking)

[Baclava]

12. Aren't they contradicting themselves?

"Most models and expert interpretations favour the event dissipating quite rapidly over the next three to six months," the UN's weather agency said.

"Nonetheless, neither a continuation of La Nina beyond mid-year, nor the development of El Nino in the second half of 2006, can be ruled out as possible outcomes from the current prevailing situation."

[xchrom]

13. drought.

hope it's not too bad here in the bay area.

[Shakespeare]

14. We've had above-average precip the last two years....

....so we should be fine (in fact, my garden could do with a little LESS rain right now). All the aquifers and reservoirs are full right now (and the Sierra snowpack isn't great, but it's OK), so we're in good shape.

[Critters2]

15. Did anyone else see this...

It freaked me out

http://www.morrisdailyherald.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=58&ArticleID=17343&TM=57545.85

[motocicleta]

16. Yes, I saw, yes I am freaked out, but not solely because of this. So many

factors are coming together right now - warming, aquifer drainage, overpopulation, pesticides in 90% of the streams and rivers, peak oil - that it is getting more and more difficult to imagine life as we know it continuing very long.

I know, everybody likes to say, but they predicted that shit in the past, and they were wrong then, so they must be wrong again. Maybe. But maybe it's like I think, like tire technology -

Back in the good old days of racing, tires were hard, non-sticky things. You couldn't go very fast before they lost their grip, and you would slide out and crash. Then we had many technological advances I can't explain. Tires grip much better. That and other technological advances made it so racers can go way, way faster than in the old days, much, much safer. But now, when those physical limits are reached, grip is really lost, and you crash, you're going 190, 200 mph, instead of crashing at the 80-90 it used to be. 200 mph crash is much worse than the 80 mph crash.

So maybe Paul Ehrlich thought we were going to crash at 130, but he didn't take into account technological advances, and we really can push this sucker up to 200. It's simple physics, though - you can't just ride the bike faster and faster forever. Sooner or later you have to decide to cruise at 60 or thereabouts, and even then you might crash, but it's a guarantee that if you keep pushing the envelope you're going down.

What I mean is - the dust bowl was bad. Can you imagine how bad one would be today, with the population pressure in our cities, and the economic pressure cooker the mass of people are in? You add in enlarged migration from the affected areas and higher food prices due to drought? I don't want any part of it. And it makes me think we'd have been better off crashing at 130. Crashing at 200 is way worse.

[InvisibleTouch]

17. True enough. Good observations. n/t

[motocicleta]

19. I initially read your signature line as

"...from the sphincter of the end of the world."

Which, I guess, makes pretty good sense.

[InvisibleTouch]

26. Heh ... considering where I'm located...

...that's not so far from the truth!

[Delphinus]

23. Is this a good place to remind everyone

that there are tons of posts of what's going on in the world on the Environment/Energy subsection of DU? So many articles that WE ALL need to read and see.

[lovuian]

18. I have been in upper Texas and Lower Oklahoma

where the fires occurred that land is dry and parch and its spring...

Freaky stuff!!!

[Rex]

21. These things have a way of working themselves out.

nt