Climate recap and outlook Nate Mantua, PhD University of Washington Climate Impacts Group Nate Mantua, PhD University of Washington Climate Impacts Group
The Climate Impacts Group Goal: help the Pacific Northwest become more resilient to climate variations and climate change Supported by NOAA Climate Program
3 Current drought
5 Accumulated Precip for the past year Source: html
Accumulated Precip for the past year Source: html
Accumulated Precip for the past year Source: html
Daily Temperatures +.51ºC +1.16ºC
Last year’s outlook
tropical ocean temperatures: a weak El Niño is underway
Multi-model forecast summary
DJF temp
JFM temp
FMA temp
Nov precip
DJF precip
JFM precip
NOAA/CPC forecasts issued September 16, 2004 FMA precip
21 Global Ocean Surface Temperatures: July 24-Oct
The PDO has been less prominent since the early 1990s- present From Bond et al. 2003, Geophysical Research Letters, Vol 30: NPAC-WinterSST.html leading patterns of N. Pac. SST since 1950 PDO “Victoria Pattern”
PDO index Victoria pattern index The PDO pattern was strong from 1950s through the 1980s The Victoria pattern was strong + from the 1999 through 2003 In the winter of North Pacific SSTs similar to the average from From Bond et al. 2003, Geophysical Research Letters, Vol 30: Phase plot for the 2 leading patterns of North Pacific wintertime SSTs (5 yr avgs) 50s- mid70s late 70s/late 80s x /2003
24 Tropical climate and ENSO
25
26 Oct 12 NOAA CPC ENSO forecasts
27 IRI ENSO Forecast Summary Forecasts from October 2005 call for Nino34 ranging from to +0.6, with an average of ~ O/currentinfo/SST_table.html#figur e
28 Pacific Ocean Outlook Summary Current forecasts rate ENSO-neutral as most likely situation for fall-winter 2005/06 PDO: A simple forecast with skill relies on “PDO persistence + ENSO influence” ( see Newman et al. (2003), J. Climate ) Expect very weak warm phase PDO conditions for fall/winter PDO = +0.2 to +0.6 st devs for Nino34 = -0.2 to +0.6 A Note on Last year… July-June averages ForecastObserved Nino3.4 index+0.4 to PDO index+0.5 to
29 DJF temp
30 JFM temp 2006
31 FMA temp 2006
32 NOAA CPC Precipitation Forecasts
The Bottom line from CPC “[BECAUSE ENSO IS WEAK] ALL FORECASTS REFLECT INTERDECADAL TREND MORE THAN ANY OTHER FACTOR” above-average winter temperature is likely See