There was a -NAO but It wasn't really a true block as it lacked the lower heights in the 50-50 region. There was a TPV underneath for a time, but it shifted west and dumped into the western trough. Then the whole avocado came south and we had the big cutter around Christmas with Arctic cold behind. Another missed opportunity that can largely attributed to the state of the shitty Pacific, and the pattern broke down a few days later. We have been stuck in this garbage pattern since.