WeatherFriday, November 13
Scripps and NOAA say a record El Niño is already pushing San Diego's sea levels up
The SDtoday team
If you spend time at the coast, here's your heads-up. Scripps Oceanography and NOAA briefed on the super El Niño Thursday, and sea levels are already a record 1.5 feet above average.
1.5 feetabove average: the record sea levels San Diego has already seen
A typical El Niño lifts sea levels about 0.5 to 1 foot above normal.
Source: FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News
“We are facing a triple threat here in terms of coastal impacts in California associated with this El Niño that is higher waves, more rain and higher sea levels.”
The Sacramento Bee says rain is expected Friday and several more times this weekend from atmospheric rivers. The key Niño 3.4 region is about 6 degrees Fahrenheit above average, a modern record, and is projected to pass 7 degrees in December. Coastal flooding already hit at the end of October.
- Ocean off California: more than 10 degrees above average
- Kelp stress: many local species have a thermal threshold around 23°C
- Kelp recovery after the last El Niño: over a decade
El Niño's effects are expected to stretch from this weekend to late spring
- Nov. 13Rain is expected, with more atmospheric-river rain through the weekend.
- Nov.–Dec.Kelvin waves are expected to prolong high sea levels.
- DecemberThe Niño 3.4 anomaly is projected to rise above 7 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Jan.–Feb.El Niño's boost to California rain moisture is expected to be strongest.
- SpringTemperatures are expected to decrease by late spring.
Sources: FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News, Sacramento Bee
Sources: FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News, Sacramento Bee