As I look at through the decades of past episodes of seemingly 4, and not just 3, long-term la Nina episodes of more than 2 years, (especially to include the winter months), I see that they rather robustly occur every 22 years. The correlation is found in every other (odd numbered) solar cycle as upticks flip every 11 year cycle from a northern polarity to a southern polarity and then back again. Meanwhile, every new solar cycle upstart seem to favor a la Nina, which have been declining in episode strength lately. The mid cycle peak of sun spot activity with a lag of hot solar wind favor warmer conditions as they should. The sun is 99.8 of the mass of our solar system and maybe doing more driving than we have known, or at least illuded too.

Just like hurricane season lags into the late fall past peak heating, there is likewise a bit of a lag-effect following an uptick in new sun spot activity. The magnetic fields flipping back to "normal" every other 22 year clearly have this triple-dip tendency. (give or take a couple of "neutral" months seen during 1974 and 2021 triple-dip runs), maybe there is a 44 year bump in this road too, or just the fact that we are headed into another grand solar minimum.  Either way, the declining sun spot activity over the last 40 years may also be influencing the weaker tendency of the strength of both warm and cold climate cycles. That's my two Indian cents. #happynativeamericanheritagemonth