After coming through one of the strongest El Niños on record, it’s now fairly certain that La Niña will be fast on its heels. The odds are up to 75 percent, in fact, that the cooler, drier half of the climate pattern knows as the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) will be upon us by fall.

The transition might also be quick, with the cool water moving eastward under the surface of the Pacific Ocean pushing us into La Niña by summer.