Modoki El Nino

General Weather Discussions and Analysis
Post Reply
User avatar
Ptarmigan
Statistical Specialist
Statistical Specialist
Posts: 3982
Joined: Wed Feb 03, 2010 7:20 pm
Contact:

The El Niño Modoki
http://www.jamstec.go.jp/frcgc/research ... _s.html.en

There are two types of El Nino, Eastern Eqautorial and Modoki. The strongest El Nino are Eastern Equatorial. Not all El Ninos have the same impact.

Here is a comparison between Eastern Equatorial and Modoki.

Temperature
Image
Air Temperature During Eastern Equatorial

Image
Air Temperature During Modoki

Both of them produce cool winters for Texas, but with Modoki, it is colder. Winter of 2009-2010 was a Modoki El Nino.

Rainfall
Image
Rainfall During Eastern Equatorial

Image
Rainfall During Modoki

An Eastern Equatorial is wetter across the equator, while Modoki is drier.

Here is a rainfall map for America.
Image
Rainfall During Eastern Equatorial

Image
Rainfall During Modoki

It is wetter in the Western US and South during Eastern Equatorial El Nino. However, during Modoki El Nino, it is much drier in the Western US, while South is much wetter. The wettest winter in the Upper Texas Coast was 1991-1992. It was the winter where there the massive Christmas 1991 Flood. That winter was a strong Modoki El Nino.

It shows that El Nino are all not the same. It does not mean it is always going to be wetter and/or cooler. Generally, for Texas, El Nino winter means cooler and wetter.
Post Reply
  • Information
  • Who is online

    Users browsing this forum: Ahrefs [Bot], Amazon [Bot], Bing [Bot], Semrush [Bot] and 51 guests