A new El Nino could be forming. If so, that could raise the potential of warmer temperatures and smaller snowpacks in the Pacific Northwest this fall and winter. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced today that sea surface temperatures have been warming in the tropical waters of the Pacific Ocean. The NOAA map on this page shows how that warming–an El Nino–has affected climate worldwide in the past. How much drier and warmer we get in Washington will depend on how quickly and how intensely the El Nino develops. Meteorologists say it’s far too early to begin predicting what would happen to rainfall.
Weather changes like El Nino that can increase the chances of wildland fire are a concern for DNR, which is the state’s fire department protecting nearly 13 million acres of private and non-federal lands. Weather patterns also can influence forest health (and future productivity) as well as agricultural prices. DNR manages forestland and agricultural lands to help support school construction statewide and services in several counties.
