Lately, I have been wondering if we may not see a La Nina event form by the end of 2007. In the following graphic, note the persistent warm pool at the surface and subsurface west of 140W. In addition, note the relatively weak Kelvin Waves and weaker cool subsurface west of 115W. The coolest subsurface anomalies (and SSTs) are restricted to the eastern equatorial Pacific. The persistent negative SOI and other factors might be the symptoms or instigators of a weaker or non-existant cool ENSO event than originally prognosticated.
The cooler subsurface has been incapable of spreading west of 115W. Every Kelvin Wave has weakened as it pulsed eastward, and each westward push of cooler subsurface anomalies along the equator has been stunted further west.
[web]http://www.osdpd.noaa.gov/PSB/EPS/SST/data/anomnight.4.23.2007.gif[/web]
In the next chart for subsurface depth anomalies, note the growing warm pool in the western portions of the equatorial Pacific.
http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/a ... eq_anm.gif
Does anyone believe it is plausible that La Nina may not form?