El Nino and the Winter Forecast by Bob Rose

Our speaker on November 23 was meteorologist Bob Rose from the LCRA. Mr. Rose talked to us about El Niño and the winter weather outlook. He pointed out that Austin had the wettest month ever in May and that the weather has been going back and forth between dry and wet over the last few months. There was a very wet May that switched to a very dry July through early Oct of just under three inches. Then the last two weeks Oct, it was back like May with 10-15 inches of rain in one day on Oct 30. We are in the midst of a “Godzilla” El Niño with the warmest water observed since 1950s and being the second strongest recorded El Nino right now. Mr. Rose showed different conditions in Pacific that influence atmosphere and create the El Nino. Austin’s winter forecast is for wetter than normal and the temperatures will be below normal with some threats of snow/ice. Lake Travis and Lake Buchanan are at 83% capacity so more rains over the winter may fill them.