ScienceCasts: El Niño – Is 2014 the New 1997?

Is it possible that next winter will be the polar opposite of this past winter?

Yes, it is more than possible, say NASA and NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration).  El Niño happens when trade winds that blow from East to West across the Pacific in the southern hemisphere  falter—not just for days, but for many months. Then Kelvin waves cross the Pacific like a caravan, raising sea level and leaving warmer equatorial waters in their wake. This video explains what Kelvin waves are why it is okay to be optimistic that last winter may not be the “new normal” after all.