Examples of ENSO-Society Interactions: Heating costs in the eastern United States

Relationship of ENSO to Heating Costs in the Eastern United States

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The number of Midwest winters classified according to ENSO and winter temperature.

	Midwest Winter Temperature Category**
Niño 3.4 SST Anomalies*	Warmer than Average	Average	Colder than Average
Strong El Niño (>+1.0°C)	5	2	0
Weak-to-Moderate El Niño (+0.5° to +1.0°C)	1	1	5
ENSO Neutral (-0.5° to +0.5°C)	7	7	6
Weak-to-Moderate La Niña (-0.5° to -1.0°C)	1	3	6
Strong La Niña (<-1.0°C)	3	4	0

* The ENSO classifications are based on SST anomalies in the Niño 3.4 region.
** The winter temperature classification is based on dividing the sample of Midwest winters (from 1950) into three categories: the 'warmer than average' category contains the warmest third of the years in the sample, the 'colder than average' category contains the coldest third of the years in the sample, and the 'average’ category contains the third of the years in between.