US winter weather outlook: What will El Niño bring?
NOAA's winter winter outlook says El Niño will bring a warm and wet winter for much of the U.S. The post US winter weather outlook: What will El Niño bring? first appeared on EarthSky .
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has released its winter weather outlook for the United States, which indicates that the season will be heavily influenced by the strong El Niño. Warmer-than-average temperatures are expected for much of northern North America, including Alaska, while wetter-than-average weather is anticipated across the southern half of the United States and up the East Coast.
El Niño, the warm phase of ENSO, helps shift the Pacific jet stream, which impacts weather patterns and storm tracks across North America. This shift can send lots of tropical moisture into California but keeps the Pacific Northwest drier and warmer. The warmer-than-average temperatures and active storm pattern due to El Niño could lead to improved drought conditions for much of the Southwest, South, and parts of the East Coast.
However, calmer weather is expected in the northern Rockies, parts of the northern Plains, and eastern Oregon and Washington, where droughts may worsen.
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