OK, Question for all you Baja Nomad weather gurus:
When an El Nino is present in the Eastern Pacific, what effect does it have on the El Norte (wind)?
I am coming to La Ventana (East Cape) near La Paz in January for a month of (wind-dependent) kiteboarding. It seems I recall in the past El Nino
killing the El Norte winds as this wind mechanic prefers a high pressure stalled in the 4 Corners area of the US?
Were some of you here for other strong El Nino weather?
Are we going to have a strong El Nino in the winter of 14-15? I'm seeing conflicting reports on this, but all these recent cyclones seem to point to
warm sea temperatures in the E. Pacific?
Thank You,
K
[Edited on 10-2-2014 by kiterkip]woody with a view - 10-2-2014 at 06:33 AM
this will be a medium event, or so they say. the thing you have to understand is that if there is mucho rainfall (storms coming ashore along the
pacific) then right as the pass into the Rockies a high pressure builds behind them for a few days. that is what you want. otherwise, it'll be like
any other year with a Santa Ana event every 2-3 weeks. this year there was a die hard Santa Ana in May if I remember correctly.woody with a view - 10-2-2014 at 08:17 AM
BTW, first one of the year starting today!BooJumMan - 10-2-2014 at 08:46 AM
I love wind and weather. I haven't heard of "El Norte" winds before, but I assume it's caused by the same weather setups we get during Santa Ana
events?
Yeah as Woody has said, the predictions of a "Super El Nino" have been ditched from earlier this year. It looks like it will be a mild to moderate
event. From what I remember, it seems that the El Nino years produce less Santa Ana winds, as we get more direct hits from the NW systems coming down
the coast.kiterkip - 10-2-2014 at 02:31 PM
Thanks! Yes, basically "El Norte" is a common term in the East Cape (and the Sea of Cortez?) to refer to a strong steady North wind that occurs on the
Sea of Cortez. With my windsurfing and kiteboarding times in Los Barriles and La Ventana (outside La Paz), the El Norte typically comes up for 3-4
days, then relaxes for 2, then repeats. These winds occur beginning around late November and are mostly over by mid-April, with the strongest and most
reliable times being February.kiterkip - 10-2-2014 at 03:57 PM
Quote:
Originally posted by Don Jorge
Be a slow el norte season on the East Cape, but heck it is still a nice place to winter.
All those warm-water fish species off the coast of California seem to be a sure indicator for EL Nino.
Oh well... I always have my (boring) stand up paddleboard to work all winter
Thanks.windgrrl - 10-2-2014 at 04:50 PM
El Norte blows when there are strong highs dropping down over the "four corners". It is supposed to continue to be an El Niņo neutral period for the
next few months. These conditions have persisted for the past 3 years. Combined with the local thermals which are harder to predict due to potential
for cloud cover, you can''t depend on only one weather aspect. However, the past 3 winters have left everyone in LB with miles of smiles. Have a
back-up activity like fishing or mountain-biking in case you get skunked.
