There?s a 70 percent chance of an El Niño event occurring this winter Think back a few years to the winter of 2015-2016 and you might remember a plethora of headlines surrounding El Niño, a phenomenon that can influence weather patterns around the world. That winter, we wondered whether a record-breaking El Niño event could save California from drought and how it impacted snow in the Northeast.
Now, El Niño is set to return. In an update from earlier this month, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) confirmed that there?s a 50-55 percent chance of an El Niño onset in the U.S. through November. By winter, the chance of El Niño conditions increases to about 65-70 percent.
But what does it all mean, and why should city dwellers care" Curbed breaks through the hype to tell you what exactly El Niño is and what you can expect this winter. What is El Niño"
El Niño occurs when ocean water temperatures in the central Pacific Ocean become warmer than normal. While this may not sound like a big deal, it can have profound impacts on weather patterns around the world. Some El Niños are strong and some are mild, but all El Niños influence global weather patterns.
You may have also heard of El Niño?s counterpart, La Niña. La Niña refers to times when waters in the tropical Pacific are colder than normal. Typically, El Niños occur more frequently than La Niñas.
No one really knows what triggers an El Niño cycle, but the change in w...