Seasonal Outgoing Longwave Radiation
OLR ANOMALY (W/m2): LATEST SEASON
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SEASONAL AVERAGE OLR (with shading in tropics): LATEST SEASON   (W/m2)
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Data:   Outgoing Longwave Radiation ("OLR") anomaly  and observed (watt/m2) on a 2.5 x 2.5 deg. lat/lon grid
Base Period for Climatology:  1974-present
Data Source:  NCEP, Climate Prediction Center

Description

Top Plot:  Departure of seasonal OLR from the long term seasonal mean in units of Watts/m2.  Negative values imply increased cloudiness and enhanced likliehood of precipitation.  Positive anomalies imply decreased cloudiness/precipitation.  These relationships work best in tropical regions.

Bottom Plot:  Observed seasonal OLR in units of Watts/m2, contour interval 10.  Green shading in tropical regions indicates areas where the seasonal OLR is less than 240 W/m2, a general indicator of precipitation in the tropics.