El Niño expected to continue through the spring

The U.S. Climate Prediction Center anticipates that El Niño will continue through the spring. The agency says there is an 80 per cent chance during March to May 2024.

Last month, equatorial sea surface temperatures were above average. All of the latest weekly Niño index values remained in excess of +1.0°C.

There is an El Niño Advisory in effect which means El Niño conditions are observed and expected to continue.

El Niño conditions exist when there is a one-month positive sea surface temperature anomaly of 0.5° C or greater in the Niño region of the equatorial Pacific Ocean and an expectation that the 3-month Oceanic Niño Index threshold will be met, and an atmospheric response typically associated with El Niño is observed over the equatorial Pacific Ocean.