This year’s El Niño weather event could be the “strongest in a lifetime,” weather experts have warned That's due to unusually warm sea surface temperatures in the Pacific Ocean. This natural climate pattern occurs when east-to-west trade winds weaken, allowing warm water to shift eastward. This is what fuels more storms and clouds over the region that can cause ripple effects through the global atmosphere - and the U.S. is no exception.
But AccuWeather Lead Long-Range Meteorologist Paul Pastelok said whether this El Niño breaks records or not, "it is about the impacts and the impacts will not change either way.” The El Niño is already impacting weather in the U.S., stymying this year’s Atlantic hurricane production. Expected to last through next year, the pattern should bring lingering heat through the fall months in northern and eastern states. And it’s projected to send drenching storms across the southern swath of the country while the Atlantic stays quiet.
During the winter, El Niño could bring snow, sleet and freezing rain to the Southeast and southern Plains. And Florida could see more thunderstorms than usual, while other parts of the Gulf Coast see less, according to CNN meteorologist Mary Gilbert. Unfortunately, after the worst spring drought on record, any resulting snowpack is anticipated to provide little relief for the West’s decades-long water crisis.
There are four different strength levels, ranging from “weak” to “very strong.” El Niño is the warm phase of the climate pattern known as the El Niño Southern Oscillation, which regulates global climate. These events occur every 2-7 years. The last time the El Niño was this strong was in 1877, when a global famine killed more than 50 million people.
How much human-caused climate change plays a role here is an ongoing debate. But it’s clear that there are higher temperatures and stronger storms now due to climate change. This past July was the warmest on record.
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