Site map . Recent satellite imagery shows that while La Ni a is weakening, it is still well entrenched, affecting global weather patterns. The image, released yesterday, was taken on Feb. 27. Strong Cold water in this image covers a large area along the equator. This indicates a well-entrenched La Ni a.
Warm water is confined to the northwest.
Weaker Warm water in the northwest has expanded to the central Pacific and south to the equator, early signs of a weakening of La Ni a. It funnels storm tracks to the Pacific Northwest, which has resulted in heavy rainfall and lots of snow in that region so far, as well as the upper Midwest. Although this feature is not fully understood, researchers say it influences global weather patterns. The satellite images, provided by NASA, show the height of the ocean relative to normal conditions. Warm water actually causes the ocean level to rise, and cool water causes it to drop.