In this paper,we demonstrate the close connection between the second dominant mode of spring SST anomalies (SSTAs) in the North Pacific poleward of 20°N,referred to as the Victoria mode (VM),and the interannual variability of the Pacific ITCZ precipitation during the following summer.Our analysis shows that strong positive VM cases are followed by positive precipitation anomalies over the central–eastern Pacific ITCZ region,in association with negative precipitation anomalies over the ITCZ regions of the tropical western Pacific and eastern North Pacific.The influence of the spring VM on the Pacific ITCZ summer precipitation is independent of the effect of ENSO from the previous winter,and they may together act as effective predictors of Pacific ITCZ summer precipitation.The hypothesized physical mechanism through which the spring VM induces the Pacific ITCZ summer precipitation anomalies is generally consistent with the seasonal footprinting mechanism (SFM).During strong positive VM cases,positive SSTAs associated with the VM persist until summer in the subtropics,where low-level convergence and divergence caused by SST gradients give rise to enhanced precipitation over the central–eastern Pacific ITCZ region,and to reduced precipitation over the ITCZ regions of the tropical western Pacific and eastern North Pacific.The thermodynamic ocean–atmosphere coupling between the ITCZ and SSTAs associated with the VM in the subtropical Pacific may play a vital role in the initiation of ENSO events.