Generally still following the typical Nino script, though I think this year isn't going to be quite as mild as either of these years in the SE US and mid-Atlantic perhaps.
Wonder why so many Ninos do this in late Nov. Maybe it has something to do with the South Pacific Convergence Zone overspreading the Subtropical South Pacific at this time of the year (as it often does). Gets into a bit of a chicken-egg argument w/ the MJO forcing this to occur or these climatological changes in the SPCZ attracting the MJO at this specific time of year.
I agree that any -EPO late this month would likely not be a sign of things to come for DJF per history of strong+ Ninos:
1957-8: +EPO
1965-6: slight +EPO
1972-3: slight -EPO with wild swings
1982-3: +EPO
1986-7: neutral
1991-2: slight +EPO
1997-8: +EPO
2009-10: -EPO
2015-6: +EPO
2023-4: slight +EPO
Tally:
4 moderate+ +EPO
3 slight +EPO
1 neutral
1 slight -EPO
1 moderate+ -EPO
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-So, +EPO is clearly favored in the means although not prohibitively. Thus predicting mean +EPO for DJF for a strong+ Nino makes sense based on the percentages.
-But a mean +EPO/-EPO during El Niño doesn’t necessarily mean a mild/cold winter, especially in the SE.
These two +EPO winters had net BN temps in the E US overall:
1957-8
1965-6
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Also, although a slight -EPO, 1972-3 averaged mild in the NE and Mid-Atlantic.
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Although a mean +EPO is normally favored in a Nino this strong, having 1-2 periods of strong -EPO would be expected:
-1957-8 had one strong -EPO week in Feb
-1965-6 had two weeklong -EPO periods
-1982-3 had one 6 day long -EPO period
-1991-2 had one 9 day -EPO period
-1997-8 had one 6 day -EPO period.
-2015-6 had one 14 day -EPO period
-2023-4 had one 7 day -EPO period
(I count sub 50+/ -50- as +EPO/-EPO)