Tuesday April 25, 2023
Weather Underground —
El Niño is likely next winter and that could play an important role in the weather in parts of storm-weary California and the West.
But there are some important caveats and stubborn myths about this that also need to be addressed.
Here’s everything you need to know about what could happen next winter season with an over 80 percent chance of El Niño developing by summer and then lasting into the winter.
What is El Niño and why is it important? NOAA declares an El Niño has developed when sea-surface temperatures in a certain region of the Pacific Ocean near the equator have reached 0.5 degrees Celsius above average for at least a month and are expected to persist for several more months.
They also look for the atmosphere to respond to this warm water before declaring an El Niño. It’s this influence on weather patterns around the world, including those affecting the U.S., that is most important.