The weather in Igiugig has had some bizarre weather this winter. We’ve had a temperature of 40 degrees Fahrenheit for a week or so back in December when it is usually just above zero or in the negatives. Last year in the first week of January it was negative 30. The highest number of consecutive days maximum temperature was below zero within the last year in Igiugig was 6 days starting December 30, 2008 to January 4, 2009 at around negative 30. There were really high winds in December that also warmed things up.  Kids have been waiting for the snow to come back; we’ve had a little bit but it is not enough to satisfy the playfulness they possess. It had been getting colder here in the last couple of weeks, and it has snowed a couple of times, but now it’s warm again.

It seems like they had plenty of snow in Anchorage, and even Washington, D.C. They even had snow the other day in Ventura, CA! If you are watching the Winter Olympics like I have been, then you know there is a warm weather problem in Vancouver, B.C. too. They had to keep bringing snow in by trucks and stuff to make the courses for the skiers and other sports. Some of the skiers said they like the hard icy track because it’s faster, other skiers said it’s too bumpy. Pictures of the Olympic Village look like it’s spring!

What is going on? I decided to Google the problem. El Niño is the problem. El Niño is Spanish for “little boy” and also refers to the Christ child. The reason it is called El Niño is because it usually happens around Christmas time in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of South America.
On July 9, 2009, scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced that El Niño would be returning for the winter season of 2009-2010. Looks like they were right!

Here is a little information NOAA has to say about El Niño:

What are the signs of an El Niño for winter season?
There are many signs that we will be having an El Niño season. You will see a rise in the surface pressure over the Indian Ocean, Indonesia, and Australia. There will be a fall in air pressure over Tahiti and the rest of the central and eastern Pacific Ocean. The trade winds in the south Pacific weaken or they head east. Warm air will rise near Peru, which will cause it to rain in the northern Peruvian deserts. Warm water will spread from the west Pacific and the Indian Ocean to the east Pacific.

What can happen during an El Niño?
An El Niño normally produces a lot of rain, floods, and other disturbances in range of locations around the world. It basically affects the Pacific and Indian Ocean and it will affect the Atlantic Ocean lagged behind those in the Pacific by 12 to 18 months. It can become very serious for the local fishing and for an international market because the warm water affects the populations of food fish.

The last El Niño began in September 2006 and it lasted until early July of 2007. Since July 2007, El Niño has been a little quiet until now.

by Maggie Stoltman - 9th Grade