Back to back El Nino winters are rare for reasons unknown, but they do occur. However, back to back La Nina winters have happened more often and even occurred in threes!
All data goes back to 1950.
Back to Back El Ninos (December to February)
1969-1970
1977-1978
Back to Back La Ninas (December to February)
1950-1951
1954-1957
1970-1972
1973-1976
1998-2001
Years that went from La Nina to El Nino
1952
1957
1972
1976
2006
2009
NOAA
http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/a ... ears.shtml
If we use Japanese Meteorological Agency ENSO data, which goes back to 19th century.
Back to Back El Ninos (December to February)
1876-1878
1884-1886
1887-1889
1895-1897
1904-1906
1918-1920
1929-1931
Back to Back La Ninas (December to February)
1871-1876
1892-1894
1908-1911
1916-1918
1937-1939
1944-1946
1954-1956
1970-1972
1973-1976
1998-2001
Years that went from La Nina to El Nino
1876
1880
1887
1904
1911
1918
1963
1965
1972
1976
2006
2009
Interesting to note that years that go from La Nina to El Nino produce some of the coldest winters on record for Houston and America.
1904-1905
1911-1912
1976-1977
2009-2010
ftp://www.coaps.fsu.edu/pub/JMA_SST_Ind ... y.filter-5
