December 2011 La Niña Sea Surface Temperatures in the Pacific Ocean

Figure 2-17 The NOAA Climate Prediction Center (CPC) released a seasonal El-Niño Southern Oscillation outlook indicating La Niña conditions, or colder-than-average sea-surface temperatures in the equatorial Pacific Ocean. Here, in December 2011, the plume of cold (blue) water is visibly extending westward along the equator. (Courtesy of NOAA CPC, “December 2011 Sea-surface Temperatures.”)