1. Blame it on the kid!

2. El Niῆo literally means “the boy” The weather phenomenon was named El Niῆo because small events usually occurred around Christmas. In Peru, El Nino during this time of the year meant “the Christ child”.

3. The trade winds blow from east to west in the equatorial Pacific. This causes a buildup of warm water near the coast of Indonesia. The “missing” water on the coast of Peru and South America is replaced via upwelling with cold, nutrient rich water. This causes warm wet weather near Indonesia and great fishing in Peru

5. The trade winds slow, sometimes they stop, and in the worst El Nino conditions they reverse direction. This causes the warm water to build up near Peru and the Western coast of South America

8. Indonesia may be an important place to watch for early signs of a coming El Nino. Indonesia’s rainfall decreased about two months before other characteristics of El Nino emerged in the ocean and atmosphere. Example: In 1997 the monsoon season was delayed and forest fires raged out of control.

11. Weather extremes cause by El Nino can affect the spread of infections diseases. More rain = more crops. More crops = more rodents, and other disease carriers. Direct correlation between El Nino and the hantavirus out break that killed 27 Americans in 1993.

12. Hurricanes Generally decrease during El Nino events. However, they increase during La Nina years, which is the opposite of El Nino. http://y outu.be /Rjj8qPs 6nLc

13. How Does El Nino Affect Montana?