El Niño is a climate pattern characterized by the unusual warming of surface waters in the eastern Pacific Ocean. It is part of a larger phenomenon called the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), which also includes the cool phase known as La Niña. El Niño and La Niña can both have global impacts on weather, ecosystems, and economies.
During an El Niño winter, the following weather conditions are typically observed:
- Warmer temperatures in the northern U.S.
- Drier conditions in the northern U.S.
- Cooler and wetter conditions in the southern parts of the U.S.
- Above-average precipitation and colder-than-average temperatures along the northern tier of the U.S.
- Below-average precipitation and above-average temperatures across the South
- More severe flooding in the wetter winter months and possibly drier spring and summer months in the Pacific Northwest
These patterns are a result of the influence of El Niño on the climate, which extends far beyond the Pacific Ocean.
