Developing a Climatology of the South's 'Other' Storm Season: ENSO Impacts on Winter Extratropical Cyclogenesis

An investigation of extratropical storms in the southeastern U.S. and adjacent waters of the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean over the winter half-year (November to April) from 1961 to 1998 reveals a March peak in observations. During El Niño events the peak in population shifts to February, and a large number of intense storms are observed. Also, during El Niño events there are three hot spots of equally favored extratropical cyclogenesis east of the Rockies—near the Oklahoma panhandle, the western coast of the Gulf of Mexico, and off the coast of North Carolina. During La Niña and Neutral winters, cyclogenesis primarily occurs in just the first geographical region. No significant trend in storm observations was found in the 38-yr record.