Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) tracker

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Interpretation

The PDO index describes the main pattern of sea surface temperature in the North Pacific (north of 20°N). Positive (warm) phase: cooler water in the central North Pacific and warmer water along the North American coast; negative (cool) phase: the reverse. The index has no units; values beyond ±1 are strong. The 12-month average smooths out short swings. Data: NOAA NCEI Pacific Decadal Oscillation index, based on NOAA's Extended Reconstructed Sea Surface Temperature (ERSST) (ncei.noaa.gov/access/monitoring/pdo).