El Nino/La Nina Seasonal Climate Variations
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A guide highlighting the effects of El Nino, La Nina, and Neutral phases on weather and agriculture in the Southeast United States is available on the University of Florida's website at
http://fawn.ifas.ufl.edu/nino/.
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The following table provides a summary of the effects on temperature and precipitation across the Southeast:
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El Nino/La Nina Impacts Across the Southeast U.S. |
Phase
|
Region
|
Seasons |
Oct-Dec |
Jan-Mar |
Apr-Jun |
Jul-Sep |
| El Nino |
Peninsular Florida
|
Wet & cool |
Very wet & cool |
Slightly dry |
Slightly dry to no impact |
Tri-State Region |
Wet |
Wet |
Slightly wet |
No impact |
Western Panhandle |
No impact |
Wet |
Slightly dry |
No impact |
Central and North Ala. & Ga. |
No impact |
No impact |
No impact |
Slightly dry |
| La Nina |
Peninsular Florida |
Dry & slightly warm |
Very dry & warm |
Slightly wet |
Slightly cool |
Tri-State Region |
Slighly dry |
Dry |
Dry |
No impact |
Western Panhandle |
Slightly dry |
Dry |
Dry |
No impact |
Central and North Ala. & Ga. |
Dry |
Dry in the south, wet in NW Ala. |
No impact |
Wet in NW Ala. |
Neutral |
All Regions |
No impact |
No impact |
No impact |
No impact |
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An important addition not highlighted in the table, however, is the probability of a debilitating freeze across the region during each of these three phases. During a neutral phase, the likelihood of a severe freeze is much greater than during either an El Nino or a La Nina event. Appropriate precautions should be taken to minimize potential losses in the event of a severe freeze during one of these years.
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