Weather forecasts for the past several years always seem to come with the subtitle, "Where is El Nino?"

This year, the infamous El Nino, a mass of warm water in the Pacific Ocean that creates sufficient atmospheric turbulence to move the jet stream, dominated the winter and spring, but has taken a break this summer. And it won’t likely be seen the rest of the year, experts say.

In its place is La Nina, characterized by below-average sea-surface temperatures. But that is showing itself slow to emerge, leaving what Chris Anderson, assistant director of Iowa State University’s Climate Science Program, calls "typical conditions."

Members Only Content

Join Iowa Farm Bureau or login to view all members only content and receive other member benefits.