Whats the difference between La Nina and El Nino ?

Question

Whats the difference between La Nina and El Nino ?

When I posted this question I knew I would get response like that. I should be more clear.... LoL

I mean la nina and el nino in weather terms..... LoL

Answer 1

This is a good question and here is the scientfic answer to it. When non El Nino conditions exist we find a high pressure ridge over the eastern Pacific Ocean and lower pressures over Indonesia. This gives us the typical easterlies along the equator. This condition is accompanied by upwelling and cooler ocean water in the eastern Pacific with warmer water in the western Pacific. The trades are the lower extent of what is called the Walker circulation - rising air and heavy rain over the western Pacific and sinking dry air over the eastern Pacific. When this condition I have just described in very strong an exceptionaly cool eastern Pacific is referred to as a La Nina event.

When the high pressure ridge over the eastern Pacific weakens and the low pressure over the western Pacific is replaced by high pressure the easterlies are weakened and basically replaced by westerlies. This carries warm water eastward and the Walker circulation is reversed with heavy precipitation over the eastern Pacific and drier sinking air over the west. This describes the El-Nino event.

The upper atmosphere reflects these reversals when a ridge in the upper atmospheric flow is replaced by a trough in the east and the trough in the west is replaced by a ridge. The trough in the east now brings the heavy precipitation into the western US bringing snow to higher elevations and latitudes and rain to northern Mexico. Because there is likely to be another trough over the eastern US, there will be warmer and wetter weather there as well. Hope this does the job for you. If not, let me know.

Answer 2

Since you are asking in "weather" - It refers to the weather patterns that really mess up our seasons with El Nino being the more severe (the Sana Anna winds, hot & dry). While La Nina is blamed for in the years that are less severe.

Answer 3

El Nino occurs when there is weak upwelling off the coast of Peru. It typically causes cool and wet conditions for the southern U.S. La Nina occurs when there is strong upwelling off the coast of Peru. It typically causes warm and dry conditions for the southern U.S. .

Answer 4

margarita is correct too
la nina is the phenomenon of the cooling of oceanic waters. el nino is the warming of these oceans. both effect the weather.

Answer 5

I belive El Nino means little boy, and La Nina means little girl

Answer 6

Looking at weather websites, it appears to ME (and I am not a meteorologist) that they are the same phenomenon - wind that brings weather to the land and by the water temp of the oceans, certain weather predictions can be made.

Answer 7

A confused weather man

Answer 8

One is male and the other is female......good luck!