CHARLOTTE,
NC (WBTV) - Half a degree. That doesn't sound like much, but that's a
huge difference when we talk about the Equatorial Pacific. In the next
six months, El Nino conditions will likely return, and bring with it worldwide
changes.
The
Pacific is the world's largest ocean and a small change in temperature there
has world wide implications.
El
Nino is used to describe warmer ocean temperatures in the Equatorial
Pacific. This causes a shift in the Jet Stream, which drops further South
over the Eastern United States. This southward position of the jet
results in an increase in wind shear in the tropical locations where hurricanes
form. This strong shear can rip these infant storms apart. For
those that do form, they are more likely to track off the coast, curving back
outward into the Atlantic.
In
the summer, that doesn't mean much for the Carolinas. Ryan Boyle, North
Carolina State Climatologist says summers in our area aren't really affected by
the changes in Equatorial Pacific temperatures. "NWS Climate
Prediction Center outlook has equal chances of below-, near-, and above-normal
precipitation this summer." Simply put, anything could happen in the next three
months.
Typically, most of our summertime precipitation
comes from pop-up showers and thunderstorms in the late afternoon and early
evening. Coverage is usually spotty, and the summer months are typically
the driest.
However,
we're looking at seeing this effect six months out. The Carolinas feel
the effects of El Nino more in winter, when it tends to result in a wetter cool
season.
