Strong El Nino of '97-98 played havoc around the world
I've had numerous questions lately concerning the strongest warm-water 'El Nino' of the last century in 1997-98.
This two-year event in the waters of the east-central Pacific Ocean, in my climatological opinion, was the 'peak' of the latest cycle of global warming. We've been slowly cooling off ever since, but at a 'snail's pace' until 2014, one of the coldest winters east of the Rockies in modern times.
We are currently experiencing a 'weak' El Nino in the Pacific. Drought-weary residents of California and the parched Desert Southwest are hoping for above-normal rains this upcoming winter of 2014-15. This may or may not happen, because we've already seen some minor cooling return to areas near the Equator despite increased warming west of the tip of Baja California northward along the West Coast into the Gulf of Alaska.
The El Nino of 1997-98 took a drastic toll on human lives, animals, crops and the economies of nearly every nation on the planet.
Here are some of the adversities that El Nino was blamed for:
* It sent the prices for soybeans, coffee, sugar and other agricultural commodities 'skyrocketing,' which led to expanded food shortages around the world.
* It brought on an epidemic of various skin rashes, migraine headaches and assorted stomach problems. Lyme Disease cases spread in New England.
* It snowed in Guadalajara, Mexico, for the first time since 1881.
* It decimated the coyote population in the Canadian provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan, because there were fewer starving deer to feed on with unusually mild winter temperatures.
* The El Nino confused Pacific sockeye salmon, which began showing up in spawning streams weeks ahead of schedule.
* It was directly responsible for increased cases of malaria, cholera, E. coli, dengue fever and ebola in Africa and hanta virus in North and South America. I don't think that it's merely a coincidence that ebola has returned during the current El Nino to Africa.
* The El Nino of 1997-98 killed off huge numbers of various seabirds around the world, including albatrosses, penguins and cormorants.
* Grapes in California were bloated by the heavy rains. This resulted in generally poor vintages in both 1997 and 1998.
* The extremely wet conditions in California and much of the Desert Southwest allowed fire ants to flourish. These ants love warm and moist conditions. They sting people and animals, contaminate water systems and ruin electrical and technical equipment.
* Meanwhile, in drought-parched Texas and Oklahoma in 1997 and 1998, the grasshoppers overran crops devouring the grasses and grains that feed cattle and other livestock. Fat grasshoppers equal skinny cows.
* Heavy flooding in Peru and Ecuador along the West Coast of South America polluted many water supplies resulting in widespread diseases, especially stomach and intestinal viruses. Mosquito-borne malaria likewise broke out. More than a third of the roads in both countries were 'washed out' or covered by huge mudslides.
* At the 'opposite' side of the wide weather extreme cycle attributed to El Nino, it caused incredible fires in Indonesia and the Amazon Rain Forest. Millions of acres (hectares) went "up in smoke."
* The anchovy industry in Peru was destroyed by El Nino of 1997-98. Prices soared to new all-time record highs.
Was there any 'good news' from the record El Nino of 1997-98? Well, reservoirs, lakes and streams were 'recharged' in the Far West, particularly California, by the heavy rains. Anyone that sold goods or services profiting from the wacky weather, such as roofers and other repair companies, made small fortunes.
NORTH IDAHO WEATHER REVIEW AND LONG-RANGE OUTLOOKS
Following our 27th and 28th scorchingly hot 'Sholeh Days' of the blistering summer of 2014 on Monday and Tuesday, as expected, things cooled down more than 10 degrees on Wednesday for the start of the North Idaho Fair and Rodeo. (There was a booming 9 p.m. fireworks show!)
A brief 25-minute cloudburst on Tuesday evening ended the latest heatwave as a cooler air mass moved into the region from the North Pacific with more heavy rains.
We gauged .45 inches in the thunderstorm on Tuesday that pushed our August rainfall up to 1.24 inches on Player Drive. Hayden reported .41 inches, Post Falls, .33 and Athol .16 inches. By extreme contrast, Fernan Lake only gauged .02 inches and Spokane once again was rainless.
After another four or five days in the delightful mid to upper 70s, temperatures should warm back up to the mid 80s by Aug. 26-29 just ahead of Labor Day, Sept. 1, which should be a bit cooler with afternoon highs in the mid to upper 70s or lower 80s. There will only be a slight chance of scattered showers or thunderstorms across North Idaho and the rest of the Inland Empire into early September.
Longer-term, however, by late September or early October, Meteorologist Randy Mann and I see increasing rains and much cooler temperatures with the chance of growing season-ending frosts and freezes, especially in areas away from the warmer lake waters.
Despite the weak 'El Nino' in the eastern Pacific Ocean regions, we see a wetter than normal autumn of 2014 in the Inland Northwest. Temperatures should average a couple of degrees below normal due to the extensive cloudcover.
Even drought-parched California may see much-needed rains by late October or early to mid November. Once again, only time will tell. Stay tuned.
Cliff Harris is a climatologist who writes a weekly column for The Press. His opinions are his own. Email sfharris@roadrunner.com