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It blows hot. It blows cold. It brings fire and rain, feast and famine. What is El Niño? El Niño is like a season that comes at irregular intervals and stays for an unspecified period of time. During El Niño there are certain expected changes in climate and weather patterns. These changes, which begin in the tropical Pacific Ocean, have come to define what we know as El Niño. During an El Niño, the normally gusty trade winds along the equator in the Pacific relax or fade. This allows for a huge pool of warm water off the coast of Indonesia to begin to flow eastward toward the Americas. This warm water heats and adds moisture to the air above it. This in turn alters storm tracks that blow across the United States and throughout the world.
The purpose of this webpage is to help guide students, or anyone, who is looking for information on the weather phenomenon of El Niño The websites listed on this page have been looked at very carefully and chosen for their integrity. We have provided a brief summary of what each has to offer. We have also provided a rating for each site. The rating scale is based on a 5 point system, 5 being the highest possible. The information provided is based purely on personal opinion and is not to be used as scientific data.

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National Weather Service A great section on El Niño and La Nina with an emphasis on California. A great site for the professional meteorologist with a great deal of current data, facts and figures.
Scripps Institute of Oceanography Very good site overall. The page is a product of ongoing research in the forecasting of El Niño Displays figures of current experiments. Lots of current information with regular updates. A nice collection of links to other El Niño pages.
COAPS Library: El Niño Resource Center A great site to visit for a collection of El Niño links, media reports, etc. They even have an El Niño search page! Don't be mislead by all the cartoons and advertisements on this site, this is a wonderful place to find information on El Niño, even if none of the information is their own.
Fleet Numerical Meteorology and Oceanography Center Strong naval influence, geared toward naval students and naval officers. Daily updated images of SSTs and wave heights. Has a huge archive of images showing the changes over time. Large amount of information is from thesis work.
NOAA El Niño Page By far, the best El Niño page around, it is a comprehensive finding of El Niño forecasts, observations, research, and educational material. Amazing graphics and animation with a huge index to other El Niño links.
El Niño/La Niña Update, JPL, TOPEX and NASA Many fun activities for kids on this site. They do a good job of staying current with all the new El Niño information coming in. Terrific images from the Topex satellite.
El Niño Impacts Across the World This page has information regarding El Niño's effects on two dozen countries. Australia, El Salvador, Africa, United States, Columbia, and Canada to name a few. The information provided is informative and presented well, but lacks scientific data...
University of Illinois Atmospheric Sciences Department Phenomenal source of general El Niño information. Has an awesome collection of images. Provides definitions and explanations of some common El Niño related terms. The use of graphics to explain the El Niño events is well prepared.
United States Geological Survey's El Niño Page Magnificent photos of landslides in San Diego and all the west coast. Discusses cliff erosion and flooding caused by recent El Niño's Perfect for any Southern California geologist interested in learning more about El Niño's effects. Offers an extensive, topic separated index of El Niño related links.
ENN - El Niño Special Report Fantastic explanation of the El Niño phenomenon. Has a listing of all past El Niño's by year and strength. Thorough presentation of all the best El Niño information around. Some of the best graphics we've seen.

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As you can imagine there are many other sites on the internet. This selection gives a broad idea of what is available. To truely understand the amount of information regarding El Niño, both good and bad, one most surf from site to site and take in the abundance of information.

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