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Climate Action
Report 2002
The United States of America's Third National
Communication Under the United Nations Framework Convention on
Climate Change
Chapter 6: Impacts and Adaptation
May 2002
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FIGURE 6-5 Climatic Tendencies across North
America during El Niño and La Niña Events
Temperature and precipitation across North
America have tended to vary from normal wintertime conditions as a result of El
Niño (warmer-than-normal) and La Niña (colder-thannormal) events in the
equatorial eastern Pacific Ocean. For many regions, the state of ocean
temperatures in the equatorial Pacific Ocean has been found to be the most
important determinant of whether winter conditions are relatively wet or dry, or
relatively warm or cold. For example, winters in the Southeast tend to be
generally cool and wet during El Niño (warm) events, and warm and dry during La
Niña (cold) events.
Source:
Florida State University, Center for
Ocean -- Atmospheric Prediction Studies.
Library 
