Question about La Nina,Neutral,El Nino in one year

[cycloneye]

I want to know on how many years it has occured that the transition from La Nina to Neutral and then to El Nino in a one year period has occured.

I am not implying that this will happen,but is only a good question that came to my mind to ask.

[Ptarmigan]

The closest I can think of recently is 1976. Well, the La Nina and El Nino was weak that time. Also, 1904, 1911 and 1918 had La Nina to El Nino in one year, based on the JMA El Nino data set. I don't know how accurate that dataset is though. Also, reliable El Nino records were kept since the 1960s.

ftp://www.coaps.fsu.edu/pub/JMA_SST_Ind ... y.filter-5
http://www.cpc.noaa.gov/products/analys ... ears.shtml

If anyone wants to refute it, feel free to do so.

[RL3AO]

1998 is the most drastic I can think of. It went from El Nino to La Nina in a few months.

[Ptarmigan]

1998 is the most drastic I can think of. It went from El Nino to La Nina in a few months.

Oh yeah. I remember that one. A very strong El Nino to a persistant La Nina. 1999 and early part of 2000 was dry in SE Texas. Well save a few big storms in March and May of 1999. When I looked through the data, I saw more El Nino to La Nina than La Nina to El Nino in a year. I just realized that 2006 had a La Nina in January and ended as a El Nino. Yes that La Nina was rather weak.