La Nina Winter Conditions

The water in the central Pacific Ocean is about 3-5 degrees cooler than normal. The water is expected to continue to cool into early 2008, creating a weak-to-moderate La Nina weather pattern this winter. Anytime the water in the Pacific is much warmer or cooler than normal, the weather patterns around the world change.

In the past when La Nina develops, it's usually drier in Texas and the southwest. We also tend to be warmer than normal. That does not mean we won't have cold days. A similar La Nina weather pattern during the winter of 1964-65 produced an ice storm here in February 1965.

Here's the average rainfall for Houston for the next few months:

• October: 4.50"
• November: 4.19"
• December: 3.69"
• January: 3.68"
• February: 2.98"

Comments

[Justen Simpton]

El nino and La nina are not the same as they were years ago. I don't think we shouldn't expect the "old" associated results. Especialy if you look closley at the relation of the El nino of 97-98 and the latest hurricane seasons. Particularly the last two.
I think that the 04, 05, 06, and 07 hurricane seasons offer us a great deal more then we know about weather or climate anomilies and how they evolve. WAS 05 THE PEAK!

[Justen Simpton]

For the second line of my comment-I don't think we should not shouldn't. sorry

[William Hooper]

Congratulations on your efforts to promote measurement literacy in Houston by the use of some metric values in your weather forecasts.

I notice, however, that the only metric measurements you addressed are temperatures in degrees Celsius (°C). That's great but I wonder if you have considered the possibility of reporting other values in metric such as rain fall amount in your "La Nina Winter Conditions" article printed right above the "Tonight's Low - 18 °C" article about Celsius temperatures. This list of average rainfalls for Houston that you gave:

October: 4.50"
November: 4.19"
December: 3.69"
January: 3.68"
February: 2.98"

could have been given as:

October: 11.4 cm
November: 10.6 cm
December: 9.8 cm
January: 9.3 cm
February: 7.6 cm

(or, of course, you could have shown both).

I hope your efforts continue and are well received by your audience. I am not a resident of the Houston area. (I heard about your efforts from a friend.) But I am a born and bred, loyal American who prefers the metric system simply because it is better. It is easier to learn and easier to use, and it saves time, saves money and saves effort, and prevents costly mistakes.

Regards,
Bill Hooper