MEI.ext Ranks (created: 10 May 2011) Bimonthly ranks of the MEI.ext, Dec1870/Jan1871 through Nov/Dec 2005, or 135 full years. If two MEI values are identical within the same bimonthly season, their rank is split between them, leading to a ".5" value. How can one interpret these ranks? Given that there are 135 numbers in each column, the lowest number (1) would denote the strongest La Nina case for that bimonthly season, while the highest number (135) would indicate the strongest El Nino case. For instance, in December-January (DECJAN), the strongest La Nina was recorded in 1974, while the strongest El Nino occurred in 1983, showing that the period since 1950 harbors the most extreme cases for that season. If we use percentiles (say, 30%ile) to define La Nina, near-normal, and El Nino, MEI ranks from 1-41 denote weak to strong La Nina conditions, while 95-135 denote weak to strong El Nino conditions. If one uses the quintile definition for (moderate or stronger) ENSO events, MEI ranks from 1-27 would denote La Nina, while 109-135 would denote El Nino. Finally, the comparison figures on this website refer to strong ENSO events, such as might be defined by the top 14 (one tenth or smaller) ranks, such as 1-14 for La Nina, and 122-135 for El Nino. Actually, the comparison figures were constructed using only cases between 1871-1949. YEAR DECJAN JANFEB FEBMAR MARAPR APRMAY MAYJUN JUNJUL JULAUG AUGSEP SEPOCT OCTNOV NOVDEC 1871 73 69 69 88 80 36 28 46 60 76 80 57 1872 40 23 27 41 41 38 36 31 30 37 37 31 1873 26 21 14 8 22 34 37 36 49 70 53 43 1874 41 27 20 15 15 25 26 19 20 20 33 36 1875 32 37 35 24 12 5 3 8 14 23 36 35 1876 28 16 8 4 3 4 9 26 45 66 78 83.5 1877 84.5 88 92 83 92 103 121 129 131 133 133 130 1878 130 133 133 129 115 98 99 80 46 30 26 29 1879 22 32 51 48 30 15 30 39 41 41 34 21 1880 20 25 26 21 28 39 78 89 73 60 65 83.5 1881 81 83 83 71.5 60 65.5 61 43 34 47.5 44 32 1882 43 49 41 33 23 24 35 47 53 56 49 50 1883 44 39 42 40 21 28 54 57 50 71.5 73 73 1884 79 78 76 86 105 104 91 90 99 94 89 93 1885 99.5 102 88 79 99.5 93 71 79 97 104 120 109 1886 91 77 70 64 40 12 8 13 15.5 12 11 13 1887 8 7 13 20 16 26 69 78 74 61 56 64 1888 75 89 106 116 109 111 112 123 130 130 129.5 131 1889 131 131 128 121 94 64 40 18 9 10 8.5 8 1890 6 3 5 10 7.5 7 12 17 19 18 27 41 1891 45 57 81.5 81 72 79 90 88 81 74 67 61 1892 63 63 33 9 6 17 21 15 8 6 5 6 1893 5 5 6 7 1 1 1 1 1 2 3 10 1894 16 11 10 5 11 31 24 22 28 27 31 38 1895 35.5 31 30 32 34 37 59 85 93 86 77 78 1896 62 62 66.5 60 73 102 110 122 125 122 118 123 1897 127 123 119 119 110 90 72 61 51 45 54 51 1898 47 36 22 29 44.5 46 51 40 21.5 28 57 54 1899 42 35 44 56 69 83 94 112 118 112 109 114 1900 116 118 122 127 129 129 123 101 89 88 96 94 1901 97 97 80 65 65 65.5 64 72 61 49 41 47.5 1902 55 59 73 94 113 125 130 128 123 129 132 128 1903 110.5 110 116 101 62 49 46 35 42 43 32 27 1904 18 13 19 27 43 59 84 99 101 106 102 101 1905 107 111 118 123 120 123 132 132 128 126 121 118 1906 115 104 97 93 89 81 55 44 31 13 28 37 1907 30 34 36 30 24 27 43 68 76 75 52 45 1908 50 48 38 23 13 11 27 34 26 19 18 12 1909 21 42 34 28 25.5 14 6 6 5 9 8.5 7 1910 9 9 3 2 2 2 2 7 10 8 10 11 1911 17 33 43 22 7.5 8 25 64 88 93 103 107 1912 109 113 108 102 88 52 39 41 52 73 72 70 1913 70 81 81.5 43 31 50 74 87 100 95 98 105 1914 108 107 107 100 93 89 102 121 122 114 113 119 1915 118 120 112 120 127 127 111 93 84 52 35 42 1916 52 38 23 31 32 20 7 2 2 4 6 3 1917 2 2 4 6 5 6 19 23 21.5 15 12 14 1918 10 19 25 35 42 67 113 125 116 113 114 116 1919 126 128 126 118 118 119 119 119 115 105 97 82 1920 88 99 102 97 87 87 58 52 56 53 69 77 1921 74 71 39 18 33 41 38 42 38 39 50 56 1922 46 45 54 66 68 58 44 49 47 42 45 34 1923 29 40 45 44 48 68 96 110 111 110 112 110 1924 103 92 78 59 39 18.5 17 10 11 22 30 24 1925 24 29 47 62 71 74 80 111 121 127 125 126 1926 124 122 127 128 123 116 114 100 79 69 71 74 1927 72 80 84 55 49 56 49 59 77 84 92 90 1928 89 96 91 68 56 76.5 86.5 71 43 44 58 63 1929 66.5 70 60 57 74 94 101 106 107 99 95 95 1930 94 98 105 117 121 115 118 124 126 128 129.5 132 1931 132 130 131 130 125 108 93 83 78 82 85 86 1932 83 84 95 110 114 113 117 116 96 67.5 64 71 1933 69 66 53 46 50 35 32 29 23 21 24 19 1934 15 15 21 42 53 63 63 60 69 78 68 66 1935 61 56 46 45 59 78 70 69 90 90 90 92 1936 84.5 79 90 91.5 96 97 83 81 83 79 86 91 1937 90 82 85 71.5 57.5 53 53 63 80 85 81 69 1938 58 52 48 39 27 21 16 11 17 32 39 33 1939 31 26 24 26 47 75 81 95 110 101 87 89 1940 102 112 120 125 124 122 122 118 114 111 108 111 1941 121 127 129 131 132 131 126 126 127 125 128 127 1942 119 115 111 111 90 55 34 25 25 24 16 16 1943 13 18 29 47 66 91 97 75 59 50 46 53 1944 56 72 86 80 81 80 77 70 54 55 62 47.5 1945 53 51 49 50 55 73 50 37 44 71.5 84 72 1946 59 60 58 61 54 60 68 65 75 89 88 87 1947 86 76 64 54 51 61 60 45 35 36 42 49 1948 68 86 100 98 82 82 75 66 66 65 61 62 1949 77 68 57 63 79 70 42 33 36 35 25 28 1950 25 20 11 11 14 13 5 3 12 17 13 9 1951 12 17 16 34 57.5 92 106 117 120 115 107 102 1952 98 100 94 90 91 72 52 56 67 81 70 68 1953 82 91 99 104 104 99 85 91 103 97 79 81 1954 80 65 68 75 61 47 29 20.5 24 25 21 17 1955 23 24 17 13 9 3 4 9 7 3 2 1 1956 4 6 7 12 10 9 13 24 32 26 17 26 1957 34 53 72 87 106 121 127 127 124 118 116 120 1958 125 126 125 124 126 128 125 115 98 91 91 96 1959 99.5 106 110 107 107 107 100 86 85 80 75 67 1960 65 75 74 78 78 76.5 67 54 55 58.5 60 60 1961 71 73 66.5 76 84 84 76 74 68 46 43 44 1962 27 22 52 49 25.5 29 48 48 40 40 38 55 1963 54 43 50 58 70 86 98 114 117 117 115 112 1964 112 105 87 53 35 18.5 15 16 18 14 20 30 1965 38 55 62 69 97 114 124 130 129 124 126 129 1966 128 124 123 114 108 101 89 84 70 67.5 76 76 1967 60 46 31 38 44.5 40 33 28 29 33 40 52 1968 48 41 37 37 38 43 41 53 82 98 101 99 1969 106 116 117 115 119 118 115 113 108 108.5 104 104 1970 104 101 93 82 75 45 18 14 15.5 16 19 18 1971 11 8 2 1 4 10 14 20.5 13 11 14 22 1972 39 58 61 70 103 126 133 133 134 132 131 133 1973 133 129 124 106 77 44 20 12 6 7 7 4 1974 1 1 1 3 17 30 22 27 39 31 15 20 1975 37 47 40 25 20 16 11 4 3 1 1 2 1976 3 4 9 14 37 69 105 109 113 121 110 100 1977 105 103 98 96 95 95 103 108 102 108.5 111 115 1978 113 109 113 99 67 57 62 77 65 62 94 97 1979 96 90 79 77 101 100 86.5 97 109 107 106 113 1980 114 108 109 122 122 110 107 102 92 87 83 85 1981 64 54 63 85 85 71 66 62 72 83 82 80 1982 78 74 75 91.5 112 124 129 131 132 134 134 134 1983 135 135 135 135 135 134 131 120 94 77 66 79 1984 76 64 59 73 63 48 47 50.5 58 64 51 39 1985 33 30 28 36 36 42 65 50.5 37 57 74 65 1986 57 61 65 67 76 88 92 107 119 120 122 122 1987 122 125 130 132 131 132 134 134 133 131 127 125 1988 123 114 103 89 64 32 10 5 4 5 4 5 1989 7 10 15 17 19 22 23 38 48 47.5 55 75 1990 87 95 104 105 98 96 88 76 86 92 93 88 1991 92 93 96 108 117 117 116 94 87 103 123 124 1992 129 132 132 133 134 133 128 103 95 102 105 108 1993 110.5 117 121 126 130 130 120 104 104 119 117 106 1994 101 94 89 103 116 112 109 105 105 123 124 121 1995 120 121 114 113 111 106 95 82 64 54 47 46 1996 51 50 55 52 46 54 57 58 57 51 63 58 1997 49 44 56 95 128 135 135 135 135 135 135 135 1998 134 134 134 134 133 120 79 32 27 34 29 23 1999 19 14 18 19 18 23 31 30 33 29 22 15 2000 14 12 12 16 29 33 45 55 62 63 48 40 2001 35.5 28 32 51 52 51 56 67 63 58.5 59 59 2002 66.5 67 71 84 102 109 104 98 112 116 119 117 2003 117 119 115 112 83 62 73 73 91 96 99 98 2004 95 87 77 74 86 85 82 96 106 100 100 103 2005 93 85 101 109 99.5 105 108 92 71 38 23 25 Link to numerical MEI.ext values is here. 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