El Nino / La Nina Rainfall Comparison

ENSO - El Niño / La Nina Information for Site 006

ENSO (El Niño Southern Oscillation) is the warming and cooling of the ocean water along the Equator in the Eastern Pacific Ocean near South America. The warm phase is called El Niño and the cold phase is called La Nina.

When the Eastern Pacific Ocean is 0.5 degrees Celsius above normal for 5 consecutive 3-month average periods, an El Niño is declared. When the Eastern Pacific Ocean is 0.5 degrees Celsius below normal for 5 consecutive 3-month average periods, a La Nina is declared.

The El Niño and La Nina are declared as Weak, Moderate, or Strong depending on how far from normal the water temperature gets. When the temperature is above 1.5 degrees Celsius, it is declared as strong. When the temperature is above 1.0 degrees Celsius, it is declared as Moderate. When the temperature is above 0.5 degrees Celsius, it is declared as Weak.

The effect on Ventura County trends to be wetter with El Niños and drier with La Ninas. Although the top driest years have been Neutral or Weak or Moderate El Niños.

Data for calculating ENSO Index (ONI) is provided by the Climate Prediction Center.


Strongest El Niños

#Water
Year
IntensitySiteSeason
Total
Percent
Normal
12016+2.5 - N/AN/A
21998+2.3006 - Ventura-Del Mar Ranch48.39293.6%
31983+2.1006 - Ventura-Del Mar Ranch29.89181.4%
41973+2.0006 - Ventura-Del Mar Ranch22.26135.1%
51958+1.7006 - Ventura-Del Mar Ranch29.37178.2%
61992+1.6006 - Ventura-Del Mar Ranch21.24128.9%
71966+1.5006 - Ventura-Del Mar Ranch16.59100.7%

Top 10 Wettest Years

#Water
Year
SiteENSO StateIntensitySeason
Total
Percent
Normal
11998006 - Ventura-Del Mar RanchStrong El Niño+2.348.39293.6%
21941006 - Ventura-Del Mar RanchN/AN/A41.75253.3%
31995006 - Ventura-Del Mar RanchModerate El Niño+1.038.60234.2%
41978006 - Ventura-Del Mar RanchWeak El Niño+0.836.59222.0%
51993006 - Ventura-Del Mar RanchNeutral+0.331.09188.7%
61983006 - Ventura-Del Mar RanchStrong El Niño+2.129.89181.4%
71952006 - Ventura-Del Mar RanchWeak El Niño+0.529.61179.7%
81958006 - Ventura-Del Mar RanchStrong El Niño+1.729.37178.2%
91980006 - Ventura-Del Mar RanchWeak El Niño+0.627.76168.4%
101986006 - Ventura-Del Mar RanchNeutral-0.426.82162.7%

Strongest La Ninas

#Water
Year
IntensitySiteSeason
Total
Percent
Normal
11974-1.9006 - Ventura-Del Mar Ranch15.4793.9%
21989-1.8006 - Ventura-Del Mar Ranch8.8653.8%
31976-1.6006 - Ventura-Del Mar Ranch13.8684.1%
42000-1.6006 - Ventura-Del Mar RanchN/AN/A

Top 10 Driest Years

#Water
Year
SiteENSO StateIntensitySeason
Total
Percent
Normal
11990006 - Ventura-Del Mar RanchNeutral+0.15.6934.5%
21959006 - Ventura-Del Mar RanchWeak El Niño+0.66.2738.0%
31987006 - Ventura-Del Mar RanchModerate El Niño+1.27.1543.4%
41961006 - Ventura-Del Mar RanchNeutral0.07.2343.9%
51948006 - Ventura-Del Mar RanchN/AN/A7.2744.1%
61925006 - Ventura-Del Mar RanchN/AN/A7.9248.1%
71951006 - Ventura-Del Mar RanchWeak La Nina-0.88.5852.1%
81949006 - Ventura-Del Mar RanchN/AN/A8.7953.3%
91989006 - Ventura-Del Mar RanchStrong La Nina-1.88.8653.8%
101972006 - Ventura-Del Mar RanchWeak La Nina-0.88.8753.8%