La Niña and SUP
Have you heard the term La Niña? Not sure how it will affect your region and your time on the water? In this article we do a complete rundown on the climate phenomena and how it might alter your SUP plans.
If there is one constant in the universe that we can all count on, it’s change. As paddlers we learn to embrace change, even seek it out, as it can be what connects us to the natural world. For many, that’s why we love a life on the water and live to paddle. We are a global paddle community paddling in every body of water imaginable, and the more we paddle the more we get to understand the weather in the different climate zones we live in.
When you hear talk of La Niña (or El Niño) in the news you can expect a change in the weather patterns you’ve become used to. This can be a good thing or a bad thing. But if you embrace change as an opportunity to build your knowledge and skills it can be an exciting time to connect to your chosen paddle spots in a new way.
Places we like to paddle - islands, oceans, mountain lakes - are affected by big forces - high pressure, low pressure geography, wind, and tides, and local weather patterns can change quickly. When La Niña or El Niño show up we’re reminded how the world is connected by our climate zones which create our weather patterns and when one or more of the big weather forces change that change can affect every corner of the globe. Learning to read the water, and being a bit of a weather geek can really pay off on your paddling enjoyment on and off the water.
What is La Niña?
La Niña, which means small girl in Spanish, is an event that describes cooler than normal ocean surface temperatures in the Central Pacific Ocean and Eastern regions close to the equator off the west coast of South America and will have mild to dramatic impact on your typical local weather patterns. The specific effects of this occurrence will depend on your location in the world. In some parts, it can cause increased rainfall, and in others extreme dry conditions. The conditions that cause La Niña can occur every few years and the effects can last as long as two years.
To delve deeper into the definition, according to National Geographic, “La Niña is a climate pattern that describes the cooling of surface ocean waters along the tropical west coast of South America. La Niña is considered to be the counterpart to El El Niño, which is characterized by unusually warm ocean temperatures in the equatorial region of the Pacific Ocean.”
What Causes It?
To put it simply, the cause of La Niña is the strong easterly trade winds. Every few years they can become stronger and blow warm water west. This allows cold water below the sea’s surface to push itself to the top near the South American coast to replace the warm water that was blown west.
This process is called an upwelling. An upwelling such as what La Niña brings can cause a drastic drop in sea-surface temperatures. For example, in 1988-89, La Niña dropped coastal water surface temperatures near Ecuador and Peru nearly 7 degree Farneheit.
On average, the surface temperature will drop in the Pacific Ocean around 3-5 degrees lower. This drop in temperature can have widespread effects on the weather.
A La Nina winter tends to feature drier and milder conditions across the Southern Hemisphere.
In the US, this causes elevated fire conditions in the West. The Southeast tends to experience drought. The Pacific Northwest and Canada, however, experience wetter conditions, while the Northeast experiences very cold conditions.
What’s the Difference Between La Niña and El Niño?
According to the NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), “El Niño and La Niña are extreme phases of a naturally occurring climate cycle referred to as El Niño/Southern Oscillation. Both terms refer to large-scale changes in sea-surface temperature across the eastern tropical Pacific.”
The main difference between the two is - La Niña brings cooler surface level temperatures and El Niño, warmer.
What Are The Effects?
North America (U.S. and Canada)
The cold waters in the Pacific will push the jet stream northward forcing it to split in two over the Pacific Ocean. This is due to a persistent high-pressure area residing south of Alaska that drives the upper portion of the polar jet stream to the north, while the lower swing arounds the high pressure from the south.
What does this mean for the United States coast? This phenomenon tends to lead to drought in the southern United States and heavy rains with flooding in the Pacific Northwest and Canada. Along the east coast, warm temperatures tend to stay, even during the winter months.
SUP: Expect cold water. Especially in the Southern California. As the winds blow the warm waters west, cold water will rise. You may need to invest in a new wetsuit, booties, gloves, maybe even a hood when necessary!
Europe
La Niña tends to have less of an effect in Europe. However, one positive outcome is that it can lead to milder winters in Northern Europe, and especially in the United Kingdom. Along with colder winters in southern and western Europe which can cause snow in the Mediterranean region.
SUP: Longer paddling season! A milder winter means more time for fun on your board. Expect to paddle longer into the winter season.
Central America
In central America, and more specifically in Mexico, La Niña is characterized by the extremes. Cyclone activity may increase in the Atlantic basin and decreasing in the Pacific. This creates the conditions for an increase in rainfall over eastern and southeastern states. This will generally occur in the late summer or autumn. Towards the winter, you can expect drier than normal conditions and drought may develop.
SUP: Watch out for bad weather! Obviously La Niña is a climate phenomenon. However, it will still affect the day-to-day weather patterns and can cause them to be more extreme. Always check the wind and weather before heading to the water.
South America
La Niña is associated with the higher than normal rainfall in the central Andes (South America), often causing catastrophic flooding. Very heavy rains and flooding in Brazil are also largely determined by the La Niña.
SUP: Watch out for unusually high tides in certain areas. Along with heavier rains come faster currents especially in rivers. Make sure you are up for the challenge if you plan on river paddling.
Caribbean
In the Caribbean La Niña is associated with an increase of hurricane landfalls. This can cause widespread damage to certain areas that the hurricanes can make an impact on. It is always best to be aware of hurricane season if you plan on visiting the Caribbean during a La Niña event.
SUP: Avoid hurricane season travel. Or if you live in the Caribbean, always be aware of the daily weather patterns and how storms, even offshore, can affect wind and weather.
Australia + New Zealand
Strong La Niña events can be associated with catastrophic floods in northern Australia.
The La Niña event in 2010 correlated with one of the worst floods in the history of Queensland, Australia. Over 10,000 people had to evacuate with damages from the disaster estimated at more than two billion dollars.
SUP: More rain, equal more flooding. More flooding leads to stronger river currents. Be aware of how strong the currents are before you head onto any river setting.
South Africa
Much like other areas, South Africa is also affected by La Niña with an increase in rainfall. This means you can expect to see rainier than normal conditions for much of the region. And in some instances, catastrophic floods have been known to occur.
SUP: Same as above.
Asia/Southeast Asia
When it comes to Asia and especially in Southeast Asia, citizens of places like India and Bangladesh can expect a summer monsoon season that is greater than normal. Generally, this benefits the Indian economy which depends on the monsoon season for agriculture and industry.
SUP: For much of Asia, La Nina won't stop the day-to-day outdoor activities. Just be careful of any sudden rain storms that can turn an easy paddle into a dangerous one.
Additional Effects
Increase in Severity of Tropical Storms and Hurricanes
Due to the strengthening trade winds typical during a La Niña event, some incidences of typhoons, hurricanes, and very cold weather in various parts of the world can occur. With an increase in chances of hurricanes in the Caribbean and central Atlantic areas. Some of which can be stronger than normal.
How Will it Affect Your Time on the Water?
It’s difficult to say. While these weather patterns are easy to predict when they’ll occur, it is difficult to predict what the exact effects will be. We have a general idea as the last La Niña event occurred in 2010-2011. In some areas it might bring an increase in swell size. In others, not much changed. You might experience an increase in unpredictable wind speeds and periods of long drought or an increase of rain. It all depends on where you will be paddling.
What we can say for sure is, if you’re on the West Coast, the water will be colder no matter the time of year. That means, grab yourself a brand-new thick wetsuit, maybe some gloves, booties, and a hood, keep your eyes on the local weather before you head out, and paddle on!
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