Is the forecasted El Niño for this year fading away? It sure looks that way.

In late 2018, there were some predictions that there would be a significant El Niño event in 2019. There were strong hints of an El Niño event in both SST data and forecasts. In an April 6th 2018 essay, Bob Tisdale suggested  “Looks like one may be forming right now.”

But if we look at the animation provided by NOAA’s Climate prediction center, it sure looks like it has been fading:

And if we look at the recent SST satellite data, there’s no strong signature of El Niño in the Eastern Pacific near the west coast of South America. There is some elevated water temperature, but it is mostly 1 degree C or less:

Finally, a look at the BoM sequence going back to the October 2018 in the top panel, when compared to the bottom panel for January 2019 suggests that the ENSO event is dying:

Source:http://www.bom.gov.au/archive/oceanography/ocean_anals/IDYOC007/IDYOC007.201901.gif

From the most recent ENSO forecast from NOAA’s climate prediction center, dated January 7th, 2019, we have this:

  • ENSO-neutral conditions are present.*
  • Equatorial sea surface temperatures (SSTs) are above average across most of
    the Pacific Ocean.
  • The patterns of convection and winds are mostly near average over the tropical
    Pacific.
  • El Niño is expected to form and continue through the Northern Hemisphere
    winter 2018-19 (~90% chance) and through spring (~60% chance).*

* Note: These statements are updated once a month (2nd Thursday of each month) in association with the ENSO Diagnostics Discussion, which can be found by clicking here.

But, in that same forecast presentation, they show this slide:

Four weeks of negative changes doesn’t install confidence for a growing ENSO event.

It will be interesting to see what evolves. However, the chances of 2019 becoming another “hottest year ever” aren’t off to a strong start.

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Johann Wundersamer
January 9, 2019 3:34 am
Jerry1
January 9, 2019 6:48 am

So the continuous rise in CO2 doesn’t effect the Ocean Warming as indicated by the El Nino. Hmmm, better adjust the El Nino monitoring areas for temperature; something must be wrong with the sensors. We need money for new sensors.

John Endicott
Reply to  Jerry1
January 9, 2019 9:22 am

Who need new sensors when you can just adjust the output of current sensors to be whatever the need it to be.

Neo
January 9, 2019 10:18 am

Why does this look like the result of volcanic activity in New Guinea ?

ren
Reply to  Neo
January 9, 2019 1:52 pm

It looks like the minimum of solar activity.

Tweak
Reply to  Neo
January 9, 2019 5:12 pm

Don’t count Anak Krakatau in that idea, most of it’s lofted plume was just water vapor, little SO2 could make that trip.

ren
January 9, 2019 12:46 pm

Where are El Niño?
comment image

Alec aka Daffy Duck
January 15, 2019 2:32 am

Hmm, Sea Surface Height Anomalies show real-recent and sudden ocean cooling.

September 15, 2018, Note the big warm blob along the central equatorial Pacific; also note the warm northern Pacific and warm northern Atlantic:

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November 15, the warm blob in the central equatorial Pacific has gotten wider,
and the heat in the northern Pacific and Northern Atlantic has faded a tiny bit:

comment image

CURRENT, January 15, 2019
The pacific warm blob along the equator has faded greatly, and so have northern Pacific and northern Atlantic:

comment image