Dynamic Models: For the tropical Pacific, most off the dynamic forecasts agree that there will be at least moderate La Niña conditions in the next 2-3 seasons. There is some disagreement among the models as to the strength and timing of the cooling in the eastern Pacific. The NCEP model forecasts a relatively weak La Niña for the boreal winter of 1998-99, whereas both COLA forecasts call for considerably stronger La Niña conditions. The UCLA and SIO/MPI models are also calling for fairly strong La Niña conditions. The LDEO forecasts give somewhat more moderate cold conditions and the forecast from the BMRC predicts that the cold event will peak approximately 6 months later than the other forecasts.

Statistical Models: Except for the SSA-MEM forecast, the statistical models are consistent with the dynamic models. The linear Inverse and neural network models prediction weak to modest La Niña conditions for the boreal winter of 1998-99. The CLIPPER forecast indicates weak cold or near normal sea surface temperatures. The contructed analogue prediction is for relatively strong La Niña conditions. The SSA-MEM forecast continued warm SSTA through 1998, but the SOI index is forecasted to return to near normal. The linear inverse model continues to predict relatively warm conditions in the Caribbean and the north tropical Atlantic.

Dynamic Models: The NCEP tier two AGCM forecast for North American temperatures is calling for relatively warm conditions throughout Canada, central Mexico and the extreme southern central U.S. to persist through August 1998. Throughout the boreal fall relatively cold conditions start to develop in the southern third of the U.S. By the end of the boreal winter much of the continental U.S. is relatively cold. The NCEP North American AGCM precipitation forecast calls for enhanced rainfall in much of the western and central interior of the U.S. and southern Canada through northern fall 1998. The GISS group uses persisted May 1998 SSTA as a lower boundary condition for an ensemble of AGCM boreal summer forecasts. The GISS model predicts cool and wet conditions in the upper midwest for June through August 1998 and much of Mexico is predicted to be warm and dry. The GISS forecast for North Africa is unusually warm and dry, whereas the UKMO forecast call for relatively wet conditions. The GISS forecast also calls for warm and dry conditions to persist in the Noredeste region of Brazil.

Statistical Models: Linear regression temperature forecasts for the U.S. during June-September 1998 indicate relatively warm conditions will prevail in the far west and throughout much of the south. The precipitation forecast calls for near normal rainfall for most of the U.S. The boreal winter (December 1998 - February 1999) CCA forecast for Canada calls for relatively cold temperatures in the east and a slight increase in rainfall throughout the central part of the country. The CCA forecast for the Pacific islands during the next two seasons indicates that the relatively dry conditions will give way to near normal rainfall; however, given the current transition to La Niña conditions there is a fair amount of uncertainty in the forecast. The Jiangsu Meteorological Institute is predicting enhanced rainfall for the summer monsoon of central east China. A CCA forecast calls for slightly below normal rainfall across the western and southern Sahel. The crop forecast for Côte D'Ivoire is for a good yield.