3Tier has released maps that indicate wind power production is likely to be above average in the first quarter of 2011 across much of the continental USA due to a strong La Niña event in the Pacific Ocean.
In addition to foreshadowing a boon for wind power operators, the analysis demonstrates that the long-term climactic variability of wind power can be anticipated and factored into the long-term financial planning for a project. The maps released plot the probability, expressed as a percentage, that wind speeds will exceed their long-term averages. The company released maps for both the fourth quarter of 2010 and the first quarter of 2011. The La Niña phenomena is characterized by a cooling of surface water temperatures in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean, while El Niño creates an opposite, warming effect. Both are phases of a larger weather pattern known as ENSO (El Niño / Southern Oscillation).
In addition to foreshadowing a boon for wind power operators, the analysis demonstrates that the long-term climactic variability of wind power can be anticipated and factored into the long-term financial planning for a project. The maps released plot the probability, expressed as a percentage, that wind speeds will exceed their long-term averages. The company released maps for both the fourth quarter of 2010 and the first quarter of 2011. The La Niña phenomena is characterized by a cooling of surface water temperatures in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean, while El Niño creates an opposite, warming effect. Both are phases of a larger weather pattern known as ENSO (El Niño / Southern Oscillation).
