El Nino / La Nina Rainfall Comparison

ENSO - El Niño / La Nina Information for Site 242

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+2.5242 - Tripas Canyon10.3948.6%
21998+2.3242 - Tripas Canyon49.41231.1%
31983+2.1242 - Tripas Canyon48.84228.4%
41973+2.0242 - Tripas Canyon26.00121.6%
51958+1.7242 - Tripas CanyonN/AN/A
61992+1.6242 - Tripas Canyon30.56142.9%
71966+1.5242 - Tripas CanyonN/AN/A

Top 10 Wettest Years

#Water
Year
SiteENSO StateIntensitySeason
Total
Percent
Normal
11998242 - Tripas CanyonStrong El Niño+2.349.41231.1%
21983242 - Tripas CanyonStrong El Niño+2.148.84228.4%
31978242 - Tripas CanyonWeak El Niño+0.847.96224.3%
42005242 - Tripas CanyonWeak El Niño+0.742.74199.9%
51993242 - Tripas CanyonNeutral+0.340.89191.3%
61980242 - Tripas CanyonWeak El Niño+0.636.76171.9%
71995242 - Tripas CanyonModerate El Niño+1.036.66171.5%
81986242 - Tripas CanyonNeutral-0.432.98154.3%
91992242 - Tripas CanyonStrong El Niño+1.630.56142.9%
102017242 - Tripas CanyonNeutral-0.626.50123.9%

Strongest La Ninas

#Water
Year
IntensitySiteSeason
Total
Percent
Normal
11974-1.9242 - Tripas Canyon17.5982.3%
21989-1.8242 - Tripas Canyon14.3767.2%
31976-1.6242 - Tripas Canyon12.4458.2%
42000-1.6242 - Tripas Canyon19.2089.8%

Top 10 Driest Years

#Water
Year
SiteENSO StateIntensitySeason
Total
Percent
Normal
12007242 - Tripas CanyonModerate El Niño+1.06.9232.4%
22014242 - Tripas CanyonNeutral-0.58.1338.0%
32002242 - Tripas CanyonNeutral-0.28.4539.5%
41987242 - Tripas CanyonModerate El Niño+1.29.0042.1%
52013242 - Tripas CanyonNeutral-0.49.4444.2%
61990242 - Tripas CanyonNeutral+0.19.5644.7%
72016242 - Tripas CanyonStrong El Niño+2.510.3948.6%
81972242 - Tripas CanyonWeak La Nina-0.811.0451.6%
91999242 - Tripas CanyonModerate La Nina-1.411.3953.3%
102018242 - Tripas CanyonWeak La Nina-1.011.4153.4%