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Super El Niño declaration is hours away
FOX Weather • • nation
Key Points:
- The Climate Prediction Center is expected to officially declare a Super El Niño within 24 hours, with water temperatures in the equatorial Pacific reaching at least 2 degrees Celsius above average for three consecutive months, marking a significant climate event through winter 2026-27.
- El Niño has already influenced the 2026 hurricane seasons, contributing to a highly active Eastern Pacific season and a record under-active Atlantic season due to increased wind shear and warm ocean temperatures.
- NOAA forecasts that the Super El Niño will bring more storms across the southern United States from Southern California to Florida this winter, with near-normal temperatures expected in the Southeast due to an extended and active Pacific jet stream.
- While past Super El Niños, such as those in 1997-98 and 2015-16, offer some comparison, forecasters are uncertain how this event will unfold but note similarities to the impactful 1997-98 winter, which featured major snowstorms and flooding.
- Continued monitoring is underway to assess the full impact of this Super El Niño, as its strength and effects could shape weather patterns significantly through the upcoming seasons.
