El Niño winter forecast

 

According to the NOAA forecast, this will be a strong El Niño winter, possibly the strongest ever recorded.   El Niño winters are milder and less snow than average in the midwest.  You can read the forecast here.

 Snow lovers, don't worry--there will be some snow! The average snow fall for the Chicago area is 36 inches.

What is El Niño?  According to National Geographic--

El Niño is a climate pattern that describes the unusual warming of surface waters in the eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean. Trade winds and atmosphere are also impacted by El Niño.

In fact, warmer Pacific water around the equator affects the weather patterns around the world.  The jet stream is also affected.   According to the National Weather Service--

During El Niño the southern jet stream strengthens especially across the eastern Pacific Ocean. This allows more moisture to be transported onshore in the Southwestern United States and generally more storminess across the southern part of the country in general.

What will this El Niño winter bring?  We'll see....