I dunno. The warm blob, -PDO of 2013-14 is thought to have played a role in repeated ridging.
However, like I previously posted...fall SST's in the N Pac fluctuate more drastically than any other time of year. This is usually due to Rosby wave trains. So, fall SST's are not usually a good indication of winter SST's.
Last of all, I generally agree that it's way to heavily weighed on how much of an impact the waters might have when other factors are certainly the greatest forcing mechanisms on the atmosphere.