A Historically Strong El Niño Winter is Coming - What Does it Mean For the U.S.?
Alexis Thornton
Last yearWinter is only a few weeks away, and forecasters are warning that the strengthening El Niño could change the winter weather forecast for parts of the U.S. What does that mean for your part of the country?
What is El Niño?
El Niño is a weather phenomenon that happens when the water near the equator in the eastern Pacific Ocean reaches at least 0.9 degrees Fahrenheit above the norm for an extended period of time. This phase officially hit this benchmark in early June and has been continuing to strengthen into the fall season. The last El Niño to occur in North America during the winter was in 2018-2019.