Forget El Nino: West Coast's Deadly Storms Caused By Asian Weather Pattern

As we here on the west coast are seeing sunshine for the first time in weeks, the whys of this freakish weather have their roots in a previously unknown (At least to me) weather pattern called the Madden-Julian Oscillation.

SAN DIEGO (Reuters) - Don't blame El Nino for the deadly storms that have scourged the U.S. West Coast since New Year's Day. The real cause could be an Asian-born weather pattern called the Madden-Julian Oscillation.

First identified in the late 1970s, the Madden-Julian Oscillation, or MJO for short, typically begins in the Indian Ocean with a wide area of clouds and rain, meteorologist Ed O'Lenic said on Wednesday.

The current MJO started in its usual location around Dec. 25, O'Lenic said. Though it began at about the same time and place as the devastating earthquake and tsunami in that region, he stressed that the events were not related. Ocean waves like tsunamis are driven by gravity, he said, while waves in the atmosphere like those in MJO are driven by temperature differences.
Madden-Julian Oscillation

[edit on 1/12/05 by FredT]

I tell you Fred when in the beginning of January you can sit in your car and actually feel the heat of the sun on you, you have to wonder as what in the world is going on, that is the way it was today as I went to the bank on a beautiful winter day with temperatures in the high 70s.

Its happening all over the world.

Then has you noticed how the media stream will post in the bottom of the news a not to become alarm warning when they are talking about the weather changes.

I think something is going on but the media has been advised no to cause any mass hysteria with the news.

[edit on 12-1-2005 by marg6043]

[edit on 12-1-2005 by marg6043]

Originally posted by marg6043
I tell you Fred when in the beginning of January you can sit in your car and actually feel the heat of the son on you, you have to wonder as what in the world is going on, that is the way it was today as I went to the bank on a beautiful winter day with temperatures in the high 70s.

Marg, it can be 10 degrees and sunny and you can feel the heat of the sun in your car in Michigan.

I think paranoia is taking over. Weather patterns and cycles happen. We tend to think short-term. Weather is very, very long term. IMHO