NOAA Predicts Strong El Nino for Winter 2015/16

Will we see an El Nino next winter? NOAA says yes…

After three years of drought on the West Coast this is welcome news, though it’s info we’ll take with trepidation. NOAA claimed El Nino this time last year and it never materialized. Perhaps it was too early and Mother Nature is just taking a bit longer to cooperate. Regardless there’s no doubt that lots of precipitation will help a thirsty West Coast and bone dry ski resorts.

The last big snow year in California was 2010-2011 which saw, for example, Mammoth Mountain receiver over 500 inches of snow. In one notable week in December Mammoth received over 15 feet in six days. Talk about a Christmas present. All that can be done of rate snow-riding masses is to pray that this prediction comes true.

Deep snow is a welcome site to skiers and snowboarders alike. Courtesy Mammoth Mountain

Here is the NOAA overview:

There is a greater than 90% chance that El Niño will continue through Northern Hemisphere fall 2015, and around an 85% chance it will last through the 2015-16 winter.

Consequently, it’s great news for Tahoe and the state of California. During 3 out of the last 5 strong El Nino events, Tahoe received significantly larger than average snowfall totals.

However, like all predictions, these models are susceptible to unseen and unpredictable meteorological factors. El Nino by no means guarantees a 500+ inch winter, however it does make the chances better. And at this point, we’ll take what we can get. That said, words like these from NOAA are always easy on the eyes: “Nearly all models predict El Niño to continue throughout 2015.”

Read the full NOAA report here.

 

H/T – Unofficial Networks