El Nino / La Nina Rainfall Comparison

ENSO - El Niño / La Nina Information for Site 030

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+2.5030D - Ojai-County Fire Station10.1347.5%
21998+2.3030D - Ojai-County Fire Station49.20230.8%
31983+2.1030D - Ojai-County Fire Station43.06202.0%
41973+2.0030C - Ojai-County Fire Station32.01150.1%
51958+1.7030B - Ojai-County Fire Station40.08188.0%
61992+1.6030D - Ojai-County Fire Station28.23132.4%
71966+1.5030B - Ojai-County Fire Station23.20108.8%

Top 10 Wettest Years

#Water
Year
SiteENSO StateIntensitySeason
Total
Percent
Normal
11998030D - Ojai-County Fire StationStrong El Niño+2.349.20230.8%
21978030C - Ojai-County Fire StationWeak El Niño+0.848.60228.0%
31969030B - Ojai-County Fire StationModerate El Niño+1.046.61218.6%
41941030B - Ojai-County Fire StationN/AN/A45.24212.2%
52005030D - Ojai-County Fire StationWeak El Niño+0.743.84205.6%
61983030D - Ojai-County Fire StationStrong El Niño+2.143.06202.0%
71995030D - Ojai-County Fire StationModerate El Niño+1.042.36198.7%
81993030D - Ojai-County Fire StationNeutral+0.341.43194.3%
91958030B - Ojai-County Fire StationStrong El Niño+1.740.08188.0%
101914030 - Ojai Valley near OjaiN/AN/A39.52185.4%

Strongest La Ninas

#Water
Year
IntensitySiteSeason
Total
Percent
Normal
11974-1.9030C - Ojai-County Fire Station20.4996.1%
21989-1.8030D - Ojai-County Fire Station11.2953.0%
31976-1.6030C - Ojai-County Fire Station15.6273.3%
42000-1.6030D - Ojai-County Fire Station19.4991.4%

Top 10 Driest Years

#Water
Year
SiteENSO StateIntensitySeason
Total
Percent
Normal
11924030 - Ojai Valley near OjaiN/AN/A6.8832.3%
22007030D - Ojai-County Fire StationModerate El Niño+1.07.4334.8%
31987030D - Ojai-County Fire StationModerate El Niño+1.27.6836.0%
42002030D - Ojai-County Fire StationNeutral-0.27.7836.5%
51961030B - Ojai-County Fire StationNeutral0.08.9742.1%
62013030D - Ojai-County Fire StationNeutral-0.49.0742.5%
72014030D - Ojai-County Fire StationNeutral-0.59.1643.0%
81948030B - Ojai-County Fire StationN/AN/A9.3443.8%
91990030D - Ojai-County Fire StationNeutral+0.19.4544.3%
101951030B - Ojai-County Fire StationWeak La Nina-0.810.1247.5%