Daily Archives: 2012, July 31

NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center and the American Meteorological Society recently released the 2011 State of the Climate Report, showcasing some of the major weather and climate highlights of the year and discussing the “hows” and “whys” of 2011’s climate story.

One of the primary influences on the 2011 climate story was La Niña – the cool phase of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO). In fact, the central and eastern tropical Pacific was cooler than normal both at the beginning of the year and the end of the year, hence why it’s being referred to as the “double-dip La Niña.” Continue reading →