Skip Navigation Links www.nws.noaa.gov 
NOAA logo - Click to go to the NOAA home page National Weather Service   NWS logo - Click to go to the NWS home page
Climate Prediction Center
 

Climate Diagnostics Bulletin
Climate Diagnostics Bulletin - Home Climate Diagnostics Bulletin - Forecast Climate Diagnostics Bulletin - Extratropics

 

  Tropical Highlights

  Table of Atmospheric Indices  (Table 1)

  Table of Oceanic Indices  (Table 2)

  Time Series

  Time-Longitude Sections

  Mean & Anomaly Fields

  Appendix 1: Outside Contributions

Tropical Highlights

APRIL 2012

The pattern of tropical sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies

Tropical Highlights – April 2012

 

 

 A transition from La Niña to ENSO-neutral conditions occurred during April 2012, as reflected by by a decreased magnitude of the negative surface temperature (SST) anomalies in the central equatorial Pacific, along with continued positive SST anomalies in the eastern equatorial Pacific (Fig. T18, Table T2). The latest monthly Niño indices were -0.4°C for the Niño 3.4 region and +1.3°C for the Niño 1+2 region (Table T2, Fig. T5). Consistent with these conditions, the depth of the oceanic thermocline (measured by the depth of the 20°C isotherm) became near-average in the east-central equatorial Pacific and above-average in the far eastern equatorial Pacific (Figs. T15, T16).

Also during April, the equatorial low-level easterly trade winds were much weaker over the central and west-central equatorial Pacific (Table T1, Fig. T20). Suppressed convection was seen across the equatorial Indian Ocean and Indonesia (Figs. T25, E3). Collectively, these oceanic and atmospheric anomalies reflect a transition from La Niña to ENSO-neutral conditions.

 

 

For the latest status of the ENSO cycle see the ENSO Diagnostic Discussion at: http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/analysis_monitoring/enso_advisory/index.html


NOAA/ National Weather Service
NOAA Center for Weather and Climate Prediction
Climate Prediction Center
5830 University Research Court
College Park, Maryland 20740
Page Author: Climate Prediction Center Internet Team
Page Last Modified: May 2012
Disclaimer
Information Quality
Credits
Glossary
Privacy Policy
Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)
About Us
Career Opportunities