By Elwynn Taylor, Department of Agronomy
An area of warm sea surface temperature has formed off the Peru coast. Watch this to possibly “kill” La Nina. By March 3 the water north of Australia was cooling and west of Peru was warming.Two signs of a La Nina about to fade (and with it the risk of serious Midwest drought diminishes somewhat).
Also the slight cooling north and east of Hawaii is a step toward a good season for the High Plains. The Trade Winds on March 3 remained stronger than usual near the “date line,” but have diminished to below normal off the coast of S. America (110W). This is may be a step toward a shift to El Nino.
Weather conditions in the U.S. continue to be approximately typical of La Nina and the Southern Oscillation Index (90-day) at 1.58 appears to have passed its peak intensity. It is too early to say that the risk of widespread drought is reduced because of a diminished La Nina event.
Elwynn Taylor is a professor with responsibilities for developing and implementing of extension education and information programs in agricultural climatology.
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