The Mantua Pacific decadal oscillation index for April was +1.12. The value is trending stronger back into the positive phase after weakening to +0.70 in February. The NOAA PDO values are closer to the neutral phase. The warmer trend is due to much cooler SSTA northwest of Hawaii while the northeast Pacific has been warming.
The +PDO present now is nowhere near the same strength of influence on climate of the 2014-16 positive phase episode. However, given the rewarming of the North Atlantic (as indicated by the positive phase of the Atlantic multi-decadal oscillation) the combination of +AMO and +PDO during the warm season increases the risk of dry-to-drought climate for the Northwest, Great Plains and Ohio Valley/Southeast U.S.
Central/East-Central soils are soaking wet but we now need to be concerned about significant drying after mid-summer.
