What exactly is La Nina, how does it affect weather, and does CERES observe its effects?
La Nina is characterized by a weather pattern that presents as unusually cold ocean temperatures in the Equatorial Pacific. This phase is characterized by warm winters in the Southeastern United States, colder than normal winters from the Great Lakes to the Pacific Northwest, and unsettled winters in the Northeast and Middle Atlantic states. La Ninas occur after some (but not all) El Nino years. The CERES Project is part of a team that investigates climate events like La Nina. In doing so, CERES studies the cloud properties associated with La Nina and will provide new data for improving seasonal climate forecasts. To learn more about La Nina I will direct you to the NOAA website at: http://www.elnino.noaa.gov/lanina.html You may even want to take the kids to the “Weather Dude” (Nick Walker – The Weather Channel) homepage at: http://www.wxdude.com/ This site will have neat things for kids, teachers and parents.
