Some meteorologists are predicting a much more intense El Nino to form over the Pacific this year, causing higher sea surface temperatures across the central and eastern portion of the Pacific.
A graphic of how El Nino typically affects weather patterns (NOAA)
The so-called ‘Super El Nino,’ if it develops, could disrupt global weather patterns and shift the track of storms, rainfall and temperature trends.
Senior meteorologist with the Canadian ice Service, George Karaganis says while central North America could see greater effects than the east coast, it could result in a colder winter for the coast of Labrador and Davis Strait.
“What it might do is it might lead to more ice, because the warm/warm setup along the Labrador coast and especially the Davis Strait and off Baffin (Island) won’t set up.”
“If you picture a wave pattern in the atmosphere, it won’t be as pronounced, and you won’t have as much warm air as far north. With that you probably end up getting the ice from the Baffin Island area coming down the Labrador coast probably a little sooner. That’s my experienced guess. It’s usually how it sets up.”
