Table 1 Classification of La Niña (LN) events

From: Overemphasized role of preceding strong El Niño in generating multi-year La Niña events

La Niña classification

Event year

Preceding winter Niño3.4 index

First winter Niño3.4 index

Second winter Niño3.4 index

Third winter Niño3.4 index

Fourth winter Niño3.4 index

Multi-year La Niña

w/ a preceding strong El Niño

1973‒1975(T)

1.87

−2.00

−0.69

−1.58

0.80

1983‒1985(D)

2.26

−0.85

−1.13

−0.49

-

1998‒2000(T)

2.37

−1.31

−1.51

−0.78

−0.27

2010‒2012(D)

1.56

−1.57

−0.97

−0.03

-

w/o a preceding strong El Niño

1908‒1910(T)

−0.17

−0.73

−1.13

−0.54

1.13

1916‒1918(D)

−0.14

−1.59

−0.63

1.38

-

1949‒1951(D)

−0.10

−1.13

−1.13

0.64

-

1954‒1956(T)

0.30

−0.84

−1.50

−0.68

1.26

1970‒1972(D)

0.68

−1.10

−0.75

1.87

-

2007‒2009(D)

0.90

−1.58

−0.69

1.56

-

2020‒2022(T)

0.65

−0.95

−0.85

−0.74

N/A

Single-year La Niña

1903/1904

1.43

−0.79

0.60

-

-

1924/1925

0.78

−0.88

1.37

-

-

1938/1939

0.11

−0.69

0.55

-

-

1964/1965

0.86

−0.87

1.38

-

-

2005/2006

0.65

−0.67

0.90

-

-

2017/2018

−0.42

−0.78

0.84

-

-

Neither La Niña

1921/1922

0.14

−0.65

−0.38

-

-

1933/1934

−0.18

−1.01

−0.18

-

-

1942/1943

1.04

−1.26

−0.40

-

-

1988/1989

1.04

−1.93

−0.10

-

-

1995/1996

1.14

−0.65

−0.34

-

-

  1. Specific years of the observed 22 LN events from 1900 to 2022 and their corresponding Niño3.4 index values (in °C) during preceding, first, second, third, and fourth winters. LN events are classified as either multi-year (occurring with or without a preceding strong El Niño), single-year, or neither. The years with (T) denote a triple-dip event, while those with (D) denote a double-dip event. Values in bold (italics) indicate LN (El Niño) conditions with Niño3.4 index <−0.5 °C (>0.5 °C). Note that the data regarding potential El Niño conditions in the winter of 2023, following the 2020‒2022 triple-dip LN, are not yet available.
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