This is an announcement.  There are strong El Nino conditions in the equatorial pacific. El Nino arrived announcement link in May of this year, but it wasn’t until late in August that the event was characterized as a strong El Nino.  A strong El Nino has consistently produced chacteristic conditions across the continent and around the globe.  For the gulf this means frequent cold fronts, rainy conditions, and we are likely to see surf associated with the frequent cold fronts for the duration of the strong El Nino Southern Oscillation conditions presently appearing in the Equatorial pacific.  This strong version of the El Nino phenomenon, with equatorial pacific water temperatures deviating more than 5 and 6 degrees above average, is expected to persist through the end of winter, gradually decreasing through early and late spring.  For future reports regarding the El Nino in place the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Climate Prediction Center Diagnostic Discussion Discussion Link will report on this driver of global climate, the El Nino Southern Oscillation.