What is an El Niño? Here's what you need to know in North Carolina
A rare “super” El Niño could be developing faster than usual, according to some meteorologists.
The climate pattern has an 82% chance of El Niño emerging by July and lasting through winter 2027, according to National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center.
The climate pattern could affect hurricane season and bring much-needed rain to drought-stricken North Carolina.
FULL STORY: Is a super El Niño hitting NC getting more likely? What that means for weather
Here are key takeaways:
- What it is: El Niño occurs when trade winds across the Pacific Ocean weaken, pushing warm water toward the Americas. It officially begins when a key portion of the Pacific near the equator is 0.5 degrees Celsius warmer than normal.
- Why “super”: Forecasters use terms like “super,” “Jurassic” or “Godzilla” El Niño for attention, but there’s no scientific basis for those labels, said Corey Davis, assistant state climatologist at the North Carolina State Climate Office. Official categories are weak, moderate, strong and very strong.
- Hurricane impact: A stronger El Niño could strengthen upper-level winds that hamper tropical storm formation later in the season, but warmer waters could fuel earlier storms off the North Carolina coast.
- Drought relief: About 95% of North Carolina is in extreme drought. El Niño typically brings wetter winters — three past El Niño winters rank among the state’s top 10 wettest on record.
- Less snow: With a warming climate, El Niño no longer guarantees snowy winters. “We can have a very wet winter and not see a flake of snow this year,” Davis said.
The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists. The full story in the link at top was reported, written and edited entirely by journalists.
Anna Roman
The News & Observer