What next winters predicted La Nina means for skiers
While winter is still a good four or five months away, predictions are already starting to emerge about La Nina being the predominant weather maker. After last season’s “Godzilla El Nino” that never was it’s hard to have faith in anything anymore.
As Power Canada put it “A key index of the tropical Pacific used to determine whether we are in El Nino or La Nina is the sea surface temperature anomaly in the central equatorial Pacific. Last winter it was very positive, hitting around 3C. To be considered an El Nino this anomaly needs to get to +.5C, so we had a very strong El Nino. But starting in late winter, this El Nino began weakening rapidly and recently crossed to negative territory. El Nino is dead!”
The predicted La Nina is especially positive looking for skiers and riders in western Canada where they are calling for a winter with above average precipitation and cooler temperatures over all. This should bring us another epic ski season if it holds true. The question remains however, will they be right this time around?