Elevational dependence of the ENSO precipitation signal in the SW U.S

Interannual variability of cold-season precipitation across the southwestern United States shows a strong and well-known ENSO signal. El Niño (La Niña) years tend to have anomalously high (low) winter/spring precipitation. We examine precipitation records at SNOWTEL and cooperative observing sites in Arizona and New Mexico to determine the sensitivity of this relationship to surface elevation, i.e. is the ENSO precipitation signal stronger or weaker at high elevation? We compare these results from the current climate with Holocene paleoclimate records at different elevations. On the basis of this comparison we critically assess the possibility that Holocene climatic fluctuations in the Southwest may result from long-term variations of ENSO-related precipitation anomalies.