Predicting heat waves up to 50 days in advance might be made possible by examining sea surface temperatures in the northern Pacific Ocean, scientists have now suggested.
A study published this week in the journal Nature Geoscience suggested that heat waves in the eastern U.S. often occur after warmer-than-average water in the Pacific Ocean bumps up against a body that is cooler-than-average.
"The Pacific Extreme Pattern appears to provide a cohesive framework for improving seasonal prediction of summer precipitation deficits and high temperature anomalies in the eastern U.S.," stated the study's abstract.
The New York Times reported that the researchers specifically identified extremely hot days in the eastern part of the county from 1982 to 2015. Then they looked for anomalies in sea surface temperatures, and found a matching pattern.
In the long run, the pattern could lend valuable forecasting information to emergency planners, farmers, as well as those that work with children, older Americans, and the homeless.
"Summer time heat waves are among the deadliest weather events, and they can have big impacts on farming, energy use, and other critical aspects of society," Karen McKinnon, a postdoctoral researcher at the National Center for Atmospheric Research and lead author of the study,
said in the statement.
"If we can give city planners and farmers a heads up that extreme heat is on the way, we might be able to avoid some of the worst consequences," McKinnon added.
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