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ENSO impact in North America
While the ENSO cycle is unpredictable, climatologists have identified consistent weather patterns during strong El Niño and La Niña years since the 1950s.
ENSO cycle map
The weather phenomenon most commonly called El Niño is one part in a cycle of irregularly changing trade winds and sea surface temperatures in the equatorial Pacific Ocean.
Oscar Mayer plant
Historically, Wisconsinites have perceived their capital city as primarily a university and government town and, perhaps more recently, as an aspiring tech-industry center. They're not wrong — government is by far the biggest employer in the Madison area.
Chickens
Earlier this year, avian flu devastated the poultry industry across Wisconsin and the country.
Darcy Hess admits she and her husband have strange viewing habits — their home outside Beloit has several large containers filled with caterpillars in various stages of development.
Winter tundra along ice age trail
Much of Wisconsin is experiencing a very warm autumn so far, with temperatures higher than average in both September and October. One factor that might be influencing these balmy conditions is El Niño, a recurring global weather pattern that can result in warmer winters for Wisconsin.
Lake Mendota
Whether looking forward to ice fishing season, crossing fingers for a rare journey to Lake Superior's sea caves on the shores of Bayfield County or just enduring the long cold months of winter, chances are the dates that lakes freeze and thaw are one mark by which one can measure the season in Wisconsin.
The Weather Guys
The "polar vortex" that memorably descended over Wisconsin starting in January 2014 wasn't really all that bad, at least when considered in the context of 66 years of weather data for the Northern Hemisphere's lower troposphere (that is, one mile above the ground).
David Liebl
Wisconsin's climate is gradually warming and is forecast to get warmer by the mid-21st century. Climatologists track this regional reflection of a planetary trend in large part through a series of satellites that gather data about Earth's lands, seas and air, and subsequently, use this information to help model long-term climate projections.
El Niño forecast
Predictions about the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) cycle and the complexity of the phenomenon itself can easily create confusion about its impacts on weather and the economy in the U.S. and around the world.