Will this be an El Niño winter?

The Oceanic Niño Index (ONI) started to show changes to the Pacific Ocean surface temperatures in April and May of this year.  Those temperatures are still rising which is a marker for the upcoming occurrence of an El Niño year.

In this activity, students study charts and notice the variations of sea surface temperatures during El Niño years. They get the chance to more fully understand these events and the world-wide ramifications of an El Niño year.