One thing is very clear; we have a lot to learn about the atmosphere's response to anomalously warm equatorial Pacific SSTs. It's difficult to imagine a better scenario for El Niño development than the conditions seen in the equatorial Pacific earlier this year.

After being negative for 42 out of the previous 43 months, the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) index turned positive in January 2014 and has remained positive through the summer. Beginning in January and ending in late June the downwelling phase of a very strong Kelvin wave propagated across the Pacific, with upper ocean area-averaged heat content anomaly between 180 and 100W peaking at the end of March. Since January there have been westerly wind bursts and periods of increased low-level westerly zonal wind anomalies of variable duration and extent.

The Oceanic Niño Index (ONI) jumped from -0.5 in the FMA season to -0.1 in MAM, and then to +0.1 in AMJ. During that same period the Multivariate ENSO Index (MEI) jumped from a rank of 35 in MARAPR to 59 in APRMAY -- a value that put it on the doorstep of a strong El Nino ranking. Which all looked supportive of at least a moderate El Nino developing.

But it didn't. After climbing up to 0.6 °C in late May, Nino 3.4 region SST anomalies dropped to below 0.0 °C in late July. Since then a more modest downwelling Kelvin wave has restored some of the basin heat content and Nino 3.4 anomalies have rebounded back to 0.6 °C.

So what's next? While El Nino development still appears to be possible this Winter, it would be one of the two latest developing El Ninos in the record from 1950 to the present -- the other being 1952-53. One possibility is that this year's vacillations are the precursor to the EARLY development of an El Nino event next year.

One worrisome detail is that the Global Wind Oscillation (GWO) has been behaving similarly to the failed El Nino of 2012. Compare this plot of the GWO from June 1 to October 31 of this year to the plot of the GWO from June 1 to October 31, 2012. In both 2014 and 2012 the GWO has shown a neutral or weak La Nina-like response. The GWO for the period June 1 to October 31, 1997 is an example of a definitive atmospheric response to strong El Nino conditions.

On a more positive note, a relatively strong, but fast-moving Pacific cold front and trough resulted in rain and snow in California over Halloween. In the Los Angeles area rainfall amounts generally varied from around 0.3 inch to 0.75 inch or so with isolated amounts as high as about 2.0 inches in the mountains. Here are some tabulated rainfall amounts from around the area from the NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard and NWS San Diego.

The 1981-2010 climate normal average rainfall for Downtown Los Angeles in November is 1.04 inches. Month to date we're about average for the date, and water year to date we're ahead of last year, but about 0.6 inch below normal.

Based on the current GFS and ECMWF forecasts those deficits are probably going to increase over the next two weeks, but it is way too early in the rain season to attribute the dry weather to a continued dry pattern. El Niño or not; dry November or not; the switch from a cold Pacific to a warm Pacific is a significant change and one that some guidance suggests should increase our rainfall. We'll see!

More information about Southern California weather and climate can be found using our WEATHER LINKS page.

The "PDO minus AMO" composite precipitation anomaly maps prepared by Dr. Klaus Wolter of CIRES as part of an experimental seasonal forecast for the California DWR last year were consistent with the below average precipitation observed in California in the water years Oct 2012 - Sep 2013 and Oct 2013 - Sep 2014.

As referenced in Dr. Wolter's 2013 DWR presentation, Schubert et al. (J. Climate, 2009) found that five global climate models produced the least precipitation in the continental U.S. when the Pacific is cold (Pc) and the Atlantic warm (Aw). Conversely four of the five models produced the wettest conditions when the Pacific is warm (Pw) and Atlantic cold (Ac). As shown in this figure, all combinations with the Pacific cold (PcAw, PcAn, PcAc) produced below average precipitation and all combinations with the Pacific warm (PwAw, PwAn, PwAc) produced above average precipitation.

While the development of the 2014 El Nino has waxed and waned over the past several months, there has been a definitive change that might significantly impact the weather in California and the U.S. -- the Pacific has warmed. For five of the past six years the JUL-SEP PDO has been negative. This year the PDO has been positive since January.

To get an idea of how the change to a warm Pacific might affect precipitation in the U.S. the PDO index and AMO index values for JUL-SEP for the past 115 years were ranked and then divided into tercile classes, producing nine PDO/AMO states.

The NOAA/NCDC Climate Division Mapping and Analysis Web Tool was then used to generate composite precipitation maps for October to September and December to January for the six combinations of Pacific warm and Pacific cold states: PwAw, PwAn, PwAc and PcAw, PcAn, PcAc.

The PwAw composites show much more precipitation in Southern California and the Southwestern U.S. than the PcAw composites. It might be argued that it is the El Nino years in the PwAw composites that produce the wet signal in Southern California. However, if the El Nino years are removed from the PwAw composites for Oct-Sep and composites for Dec-Feb, a wet signal persists.

Of course there are many factors that can influence the amount of precipitation in a particular locale in a particular season or water year. Composites are not forecasts any more than monthly climate normals are forecasts; but both can provide useful guidance. In the PwAw case 7 of the 12 selected years in the composite were wet in Southern California and two-thirds of the years had near normal or above average precipitation. We'll see what happens in 2014-2015.

More information about Southern California weather and climate can be found using our WEATHER LINKS page.

Extended by the active phase of the MJO, a strong Pacific jet provided the impetus for two Pacific storm systems to undercut a persistent ridge over the West Coast and bring much-needed rain to parched California.

Beginning Wednesday evening (Feb 26) and continuing into Sunday (Mar 2), the storm systems produced the most rain over five days in Los Angeles since December 2010, ending a nearly 14 month period with record-setting dry weather. Los Angeles experienced the driest calendar year on record in 2013, and until Friday had recorded less water year rainfall than in 2006-07 — the driest water year (July 1 - June 30) since recordkeeping began in 1877.

According to preliminary precipitation data, Downtown Los Angeles (USC) recorded 4.52 inches of rain over the course of the storms, increasing its water year total from a dessicated 11% of normal to a not-too-bad-considering 50% of normal. Downtown Los Angeles' water year rain total now stands at 5.72 inches. This exceeds last year's cumulative precipitation total on this date by more than an inch, but still leaves us with a deficit of nearly six inches. The storms increased February's rainfall total to near normal, and jump-started March with nearly half its normal amount of rain. Prior to these storms the most rain recorded at Los Angeles in a day this water year was 0.29 inch back in November!

Orographically favored foothill and mountain areas that faced into the storms' moist southerly flow recorded some impressive rainfall totals. According to this compilation of preliminary rainfall totals from the NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard, Opids Camp near Mt. Wilson recorded nearly 11 inches of rain, and several stations in the Ventura Mountains recorded double-digit rainfall totals. Here are a CNRFC map of Gridded QPE for the 7-day period ending March 3 at 4:00 am and a CNRFC map of 7-day Gridded QPE and 120 hr raw precipitation for stations recording over 4.0 inches.

With this recent rainfall 2013-14 will not be the driest water year in Los Angeles, but one good storm, or even two, "does not a rain season make." In the short term these storms have dramatically reduced the fire danger, provided crucial relief to plants and animals, and increased groundwater and reservoir storage. What happens in the longer term we'll just have to see. Over the next several days a series of systems are forecast to produce additional rain from Central California north into the PNW. While no rain is forecast in Southern California over the next week or so, and the 8-14 day outlook is for below average precipitation, as long as the Pacific weather pattern remains progressive there should be additional opportunities for rain in the weeks ahead.

It looks like El Nino is beginning to knock more loudly at the door. The third and strongest of a series of oceanic downwelling Kelvin waves continues to significantly increase subsurface equatorial heat content in the Pacific basin and another strong Westerly Wind Burst has occurred in the equatorial Pacific. The CFSv2 forecasts Nino 3.4 anomalies to reach El Nino thresholds in the May-June 2014 timeframe, however the IRI/CPC Plume-based and Consensus Forecasts released February 20 are less bullish, forecasting about a 40% chance of El Nino conditions developing in the MJJ season. We'll see!

More information about Southern California weather and climate can be found using our WEATHER LINKS page.

From July 1 to February 14 Downtown Los Angeles has recorded only 1.20 inches of rain. This is less than the 1.92 inches of rainfall recorded over the same period in 2006-2007, making 2013-2014 the driest water year to date since recordkeeping began in July of 1877. Downtown Los Angeles averages 14.93 inches of rain in a water year, July 1 through June 30.

Los Angeles recorded only a trace of rain in January, and so far this February has recorded only 0.23 inch. At the moment neither the GFS or ECMWF show any rain south of Pt. Conception through the morning of February 25. At that time both models have another high amplitude ridge over the West Coast, so unless something changes the chances for additional rain this month do not look good. The 1981-2010 normal rainfall for January is 3.12 inches and for February 3.80 inches.

Active weather in Central California culminating in a strong atmospheric river event February 8-9 produced double-digit precipitation totals in the coastal mountains and Sierra. Over the 5-day period ending Monday, February 10 at 3:15 pm precipitation totals as high as 23.51 inches were observed. Since February 12 another atmospheric river has been feeding moisture into Northern California and Oregon.

It looks like El Nino will be knocking at the door in the next 2-3 months and we'll have to see if the atmosphere and ocean respond. The third and strongest of a series of oceanic downwelling Kelvin waves is propagating into the Eastern Pacific and is increasing subsurface equatorial heat content in the Pacific basin. The CFSv2 forecasts Nino 3.4 anomalies to reach El Nino thresholds in May, however the IRI/CPC Plume-based and Consensus Forecasts are far less bullish, forecasting about a 30% chance of El Nino conditions in the AMJ season. We'll see!

More information about Southern California weather and climate can be found using our WEATHER LINKS page.

Since January 1 Downtown Los Angeles has recorded only 3.60 inches of rain, making it the driest calendar year since recordkeeping began in July of 1877. The previous record of 4.08 inches was set in 1953 and 1947. Downtown Los Angeles averages about 15 inches of rain in a calendar year.

Precipitation composites for years with comparable PD0-AMO indices constructed by Dr. Klaus Wolter of the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences at the University of Colorado appears to have anticipated this year's drought in Southern California. While Oct-Dec anomalies for Southern California were -0.5 to -0.7 SD below the 1895-2000 Longterm Average, Jan-Mar anomalies were -0.1 to -0.3 SD below average. Assuming the anomaly maps to be correlative the drought's stranglehold on Southern California may weaken somewhat over the next three months.

To get an idea of how the precipitation anomaly might vary over the next three months, the US Climate Division Dataset Mapping Page was used to recreate the standardized Oct-Dec precipitation anomaly and Jan-Mar precipitation anomaly maps using the same years as Dr. Wolter's composites. Then standardized composite precipitation anomaly maps were constructed for the months of January, February, and March. Based on these composites some lessening of the severity of the drought in Southern California is suggested throughout the period Jan-Mar with the biggest improvement indicated in March -- except for coastal Southern California. A map showing the composite precipitation anomaly in inches for the period October to March was also generated.

While today's medium range forecasts and 6-10 day and 8-14 day precipitation outlooks aren't particularly encouraging there are some straws to grasp. The AO Index, which has been positive for most of the rainy season is now negative and the Global Wind Oscillation (GWO) is in its first full orbit into positive AAM territory in several months. Whether these changes eventually result in rain for Southern California we'll just have to see.

More information about Southern California weather and climate can be found using our WEATHER LINKS page.

An experimental PSD forecast issued November 19, 2013 for the period December 2013 through February 2014 prepared for the California DWR by Dr. Klaus Wolter of the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences at the University of Colorado shows a significantly increased chance of less than normal precipitation in most of Southern California and the Central San Joaquin Valley. The forecast guidance shows the shift in tercile probabilities for precipitation, similar in concept to the NOAA CPC precipitation outlooks.

According to Dr. Wolter the statistical forecast scheme integrates as many of the known influences on California's climate as possible, using data from 1950 onwards. In the absence of El Nino and La Nina influences considerations such as the status of the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO), the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO), or recent Alaskan temperatures can be evaluated through statistical models to make a forecast.

Dr. Wolter also produced composite precipitation anomalies for the periods October-December and January-March for years with comparable PD0-AMO indices. In Southern California the Oct-Dec anomalies were -0.5 to -0.7 SD below the 1895-2000 Longterm Average and the Jan-Mar anomalies were -0.1 to -0.3 SD below average.

Since October 1 precipitation in California, Oregon and Washington has generally been well below normal. As of today the precipitation recorded at Downtown Los Angeles is at about 30% of normal for the water year (July 1-June30). If Los Angeles doesn't record more than 0.58 inch of rain over the remainder of December, 2013 will rank as the driest calendar year on record.

A wildcard in the California precipitation outlook is the occurrence of atmospheric rivers such as those that occurred at the end of November 2012 and during December 2010. An analysis of all winter ARs in California during WY1998–2011 presented in the paper The 2010/2011 snow season in California's Sierra Nevada: Role of atmospheric rivers and modes of large-scale variability by Bin Guan, et.al., found that atmospheric river frequency is increased during negative phases of the Arctic Oscillation (AO) and the Pacific-North American (PNA) teleconnection patterns.

More information about Southern California weather and climate can be found using our WEATHER LINKS page.

Updated November 5, 2013. My mistake -- a spreadsheet range error -- thanks for the heads up Reg! The driest January 1 to November 1 for Downtown Los Angeles was in 1972 with 0.92 inch. Here are the driest ten years for that period:

1. 1972 0.92
2. 2002 1.62
3. 1984 1.93
4. 1961 2.37
5. 1971 2.39
6. 1947 2.45
7. 2013 2.78
8. 1894 2.89
9. 1953 2.89
10. 2007 3.37

An energetic upper level low brought the first widespread precipitation of the rain season to Southern California October 9, with rain at the lower elevations and some snow in the local mountains. Rainfall amounts varied widely, ranging from a trace in some areas to over an inch in the mountains.

Downtown Los Angeles (USC) recorded only 0.04 inch for the storm, bringing the water year rainfall total to 0.13 inch, which is 0.31 inch below normal. Downtown Los Angeles has recorded only 2.76 inches of rain since January 1. This is one of the driest January 1 - October 20 in Los Angeles over the past 135 years! To get out of the bottom ten for calendar year rainfall Los Angeles needs about 3.5 inches of rain by December 31. Normal rainfall for November is 1.04 inches and for December is 2.33 inches.

For months I've been monitoring climate data and forecasts looking for something on which to base a 2013-14 Winter precipitation Outlook. Historically ENSO has played the major role in Southern California rain season weather, with El Nino conditions generally producing wetter weather and La Nina conditions generally drier. But ENSO conditions are currently Neutral and are expected to remain so through the end of the year.

Most climate models forecast slow warming of SSTs in the equatorial Pacific (NINO 3.4 region) over the next several months, but at this time of the year it would be very unusual to have substantial warming. The CPC/IRI ENSO Forecasts from IRI's October Quick Look indicate the probability of an El Nino developing before the end of the year is less than 20% -- and 20% seems high.

One computer model that at times has been forecasting above average precipitation in Southern California this Winter is the Climate Forecast System version 2 (CFSv2). The CFSv2 is fully coupled ocean-atmosphere-land-sea ice model used to forecast parameters such as sea surface temperature, temperature and precipitation rate. While skillful at predicting tropical SSTs, the CFSv2 generally performs very poorly when forecasting precipitation over land, so forecasts such as this earlier one for Dec-Jan-Feb must be viewed somewhat skeptically.

Another glass half-full observation is that the Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO) has been relatively active this year and if this activity continues it provides recurring opportunities for enhanced U.S. West Coast precipitation. The downside is that it can result in periods of dry weather as well.

With the ocean and atmosphere neutral there's just not much on which to base a rain season forecast. As a result of the government shutdown the release of the official NOAA 2013-14 Winter Outlook has been delayed until November. The October CPC outlook is usually the basis of the initial official NOAA U.S. Winter Outlook. The U.S. Dec-Jan-Feb Precipitation Outlook, released October 17, calls for an equal chance of below average, average, or above average precipitation for all of California. We'll see!

More information about Southern California weather and climate can be found using our WEATHER LINKS page.

Downtown Los Angeles (USC) finished the water year (July 1 to June 30) with only 5.85 inches of recorded rainfall, making it the sixth driest water year since recordkeeping began in 1877. With a deficit of over 9 inches, the water year rainfall total was about 39% of the norm of 14.93 inches. This tabulation of Rain Season Totals from the NWS/Oxnard shows rainfall totals around the area ranged from a low of 14% of normal at Palmdale Airport to a high of 54% at Long Beach Airport and LAX.

As this WRCC precipitation map for the period July 1 to June 30 shows, below average precipitation was not limited to Southern California. If it were not for heavy precipitation related to atmospheric river events in late November/early December there would be even more red on the map.

It has been even drier since January 1. For example, since January 1 Downtown Los Angeles has received only 25% of normal rainfall; Burbank 21% of normal; LAX 30% of normal; Santa Barbara 28% of normal; and Palmdale 19% of normal. Surprisingly, rainfall totals for Los Angeles since January 1 are only the ninth driest on record. The driest January-June on record was 1972 when 0.26 inch was recorded. And guess what -- we went on to have a very wet rain season in 1972-73 with 21.26 inches of rain in Los Angeles!

As dry as it's been in the Los Angeles area since the first of the year, it has been drier at some locations in the San Francisco Bay Area. Remarkably, LAX has had more rain than SFO, and Burbank Airport in the San Fernando Valley has had more rain than Napa Airport in the Napa Valley!

More information about Southern California weather and climate can be found using our WEATHER LINKS page.

If you were to only look at the Global Wind Oscillation (GWO) for November you might think our 2012-2013 El Nino hadn't flopped. The relative AAM anomaly peaked at about 1.4 around November 20, which is the highest it's been since the El Nino of 2009-2010.

Most of the AAM was added in the NH between 15°N and 30°N. This led to the development of a high amplitude mid-Pacific ridge, and undercutting of the ridge by the westerlies. This enabled a low near the dateline to tap tropical moisture and relay it into the circulation of a large eastern Pacific low. This linkage provided the moisture necessary to create the atmospheric rivers that produced excessive precipitation in Northern and Central California last week.

Over the 5-day period ending Monday morning (December 3) Northern and Central California recorded double-digit precipitation totals with several stations recording rainfall amounts in excess of 15 inches. Here are archived Public Information Statements issued by NWS San Francisco Bay Area/Monterey and NWS Eureka with some of the phenomenal precipitation totals recorded in those areas. This AHPS Precipitation Analysis shows the observed precipitation in the western U.S. for the 7-day period ending Monday morning.

New forecast methods developed by NOAA's ESRL PSD using satellite-derived and GFS medium range forecast data indicated high levels of water vapor transport early Friday and early Sunday. This typically characterizes AR events. This Evaluation of GFS Forecast Fields (PDF) shows the observed Integrated Water Vapor (IWV) for December 2, the corresponding analysis, and the 1-day to 5-day forecasts.

System dynamics were much weaker in Southern California, and the IWV content of the atmospheric rivers was less. (Friday IPW and Sunday IPW). Even so orographically favored areas were still able to wring several inches of rain from the moist flow. From Tuesday night to Monday morning Opids Camp recorded 3.02 inches, White Ledge Peak 4.09 inches, Refugio Pass 4.61 inches, and Rocky Butte 8.51 inches.

Over the same period Downtown Los Angeles (USC) recorded 1.03 inches, bringing the water year total to 1.36 inches. As of today that's 1.08 inch less than normal. Here's an archived copy of a NWS compilation of preliminary rainfall totals in our area.

More information about Southern California weather and climate can be found using our WEATHER LINKS page.

Instability associated with a cut-off upper level low resulted in scattered strong thunderstorms and widespread showers in Southern California on Thursday. A GOES Sounding 8 nm NW of KLAX at 3:00 pm indicated an LI of -4 and CAPE of 836.

According to NWS Storm Reports a spotter in Simi Valley area near Tapo St. and the 118 Frwy reported 1.0 inch of rain in 15 minutes and 1.5 inches in 30 minutes with street flooding. A Mesonet station in Simi Valley recorded 0.84 inches of rain in 12 minutes. A Mesonet station near Pasadena recorded 1.1 inches in 25 minutes. Long Beach Airport set a new rainfall record for the date of 0.30 inches.

The rain gauge at Downtown Los Angeles (USC) dodged all but a few rain drops, recording 0.01 inch for the storm. Here's an archived copy of a NWS compilation of preliminary rainfall totals across the area.

More information about Southern California weather and climate can be found using our WEATHER LINKS page.

Downtown Los Angeles (USC) will end the the 2011-2012 water year (July 1 to June 30) having recorded 8.69 inches of rain. This is about 58% of the 1981-2010 normal of 14.93 inches. The deficit of 6.24 inches is a little more than the 5-6 inch deficit recorded in a selection of similar second year La Nina years. According to data compiled by the NWS Santa Barbara will end the water year at about 66% of normal; Camarillo/Oxnard at 57%; Burbank Airport at 51%; LAX at 59%; and Long Beach Airport at 62%.

This TAO/Triton plot of Pacific equatorial SST and anomaly clearly depicts the evolution of our two year La Nina and the recent transition to warmer conditions. Is an El Nino in the works for this Winter? According to the Multivariate ENSO Index (MEI) a transition to El Nino conditions may already be underway. The April/May value of the MEI was +0.706. This is already within the range of a weak El Niño ranking. In his June 6 discussion of the MEI climatologist Klaus Wolter noted the last month's increase in the MEI was the 6th highest increase for this time of year since 1950. He also pointed out that it was the 4th monthly increase of this caliber in a row -- second only to the record of six consecutive large monthly increases in 1997 at the beginning of the mega El Nino of 1997-98. It will be very interesting to see if the string of large increases in the MEI continues with the May/June value.

While the ocean seems to be on board with the El Nino idea, the atmosphere appears to be balking -- at least for the moment. As of June 24, the AAM component of the GWO was down around -2.0, which is nearly as low as it's been during year two of the 2010-2012 La Nina. A positive value of AAM is generally associated with El Nino conditions.

More information about Southern California weather and climate can be found using our WEATHER LINKS page.