Paper 3 



QctQbgr - A large end intense low pressure system settled over 



Bristol Bay this months bringing storiis with unusually high winds 



and severe weather. Wind mixing of the ocean surface layer 



caused SST'a to drop at twice the normal seasonal rates 



throughout the ENP west of 13jW and north of 30N. South of a 

 Line southwestward from Sen Francisco and east to the coasts 



above normal bST's were associated with persistent surface high 

 pressure/ light cloud covers ?>nd low winds. 



Positive SST anomalies covered almost the entire IIP. North of 

 10S and east of 135W SST's were significantly above normal. 

 Light winds and warm seas aided fishermen in this area. The area 

 of above normal temperatures in the ETP was greater than in any 

 month since January 1973^ which marked the end of the 1972 El 

 Nino cond it i on . 



Three small areas of negative anomaly occurred off Chala and 

 Lobitos* Peru/ and at tMf 97W. Above normal winds and extensive 

 cloud cover associated with weather fronts moving through this 

 area kept the surface layers well mixed/' ana upwelling was active 

 south of 15S along the coast. 



November - Seasonal cooling was weaker than normal over most of 

 the E NP . Cold anomalies receded slightly along the U.S. and 

 Canadian coasts under the influence of an anomalous high over the 

 Northwestern States and its associated light southerly winds and 

 clear skies. A deep and persistent low over the Aleutian chain 

 at 165W caused strong winds and rough seas. It dominated weather 

 conditions across the entire western Pacific north of 35N and 

 brought anomalous cooling to tne Hawaiian Islands. 



Seasonal warming progressed along the coast of South America 

 under less than normal cloud cover. Anomalously warm seas 

 prevailed offshore 10 deg north and south of the equator to 180W 

 and beyond. In the Gulf of Tehauntepec SST's were 10 to 2C below 

 normal as the result of strong northerly winds and cold outbreaks 

 which carriec across from the Gulf of Mexico. 



December - Sea surface cooling of the ENP proceedeo at less than 



the normal rate/ thus diminishing the area of negative SST 



anomaly. North of 30N/' surface winds were more southerly than 



normal/ blocked to the east by a high pressure ridge off the 

 northwestern U.S. coast. 



The Aleutian Low was much deeper (-13 mb anomaly) than normal/ 

 and slightly southeast of its usual position. Storminess 

 associated with this low caused considerable ocean mixing/ and 

 below normal SST's prevailed west of 15CW. 



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