Super El Niño Arrives After Pacific Waters Rise More Than 2°C, Reshaping Winter Snow
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Nov 6
Super El Niño Arrives After Pacific Waters Rise More Than 2°C, Reshaping Winter Snow
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Nov 6
Summary
NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center says a very strong El Niño is already underway, with eastern Pacific sea-surface temperatures more than 2°C above normal and above 4°C in some areas.
That warming alters trade winds and shifts global weather patterns, setting up a stronger southern storm track and a weaker northern one during the core November-to-January peak.
California and the Gulf Coast are more likely to see heavier precipitation this winter, while mountain areas in the West could capture more snowfall even as broad parts of North America face warmth, rain or drought.
The Midwest is expected to skew warmer and drier, a split that could redirect ski travel after last season brought poor snow conditions across much of the West.
Using NOAA’s updated index, this would be only the sixth very strong El Niño since 1950, underscoring forecasts that it could be a record-breaking event.