{"id":964218,"date":"2026-11-09T13:56:15","date_gmt":"2026-11-09T13:56:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/964218\/"},"modified":"2026-11-09T13:56:15","modified_gmt":"2026-11-09T13:56:15","slug":"a-monstrous-el-nino-has-arrived-heres-what-it-means-for-where-you-live","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/964218\/","title":{"rendered":"A monstrous El Ni\u00f1o has arrived. Here\u2019s what it means for where you live."},"content":{"rendered":"

A monster is growing in the Pacific \u2014 not the kraken, but something far scarier and deadlier. El Ni\u00f1o is a natural phenomenon in which a band of warm water forms every three to five years off the coast of South America. It raises ocean water temperatures by just a few extra degrees for typically nine to 12 months and ends up injecting an extraordinary amount of energy into the sky. It\u2019s already the strongest El Ni\u00f1o on record<\/a>, and it might not even peak for about another month or two.<\/p>\n

\u201cThose are actually really big changes for the ocean,\u201d Art Miller, a climate scientist at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, told Grist<\/a> in September. \u201cThe ocean has a lot of heat content \u2014 1,000 times more ability to hold heat than the atmosphere \u2014 so slight changes in the ocean surface temperatures can actually do a lot for the atmosphere.\u201d<\/p>\n

While scientists are still trying to figure out<\/a> how climate change might be influencing El Ni\u00f1o, some research suggests that rising temperatures have led to stronger El Ni\u00f1o events. At the very least, we can use this event\u2019s temporary warming to imagine what the climate will look like by default in two decades, as planetary temperatures continue to rise.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The effects of the current El Ni\u00f1o will be global, and they will be severe. Scientists have estimated<\/a> that the additional heat alone could kill around 450,000 people worldwide. Drought is gripping some places, like the Amazon rainforest<\/a>, while extreme rainfall hits others, like the Greater Horn of Africa<\/a>. And the polar vortex \u2014 another phenomenon that periodically blasts the eastern and central United States with frigid air \u2014 interacts with El Ni\u00f1o<\/a> in ways that can scramble weather even further<\/a>. El Ni\u00f1o, then, won\u2019t just fire heat into the atmosphere \u2014 it will fundamentally shift weather patterns the world over.<\/p>\n

Read Next<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"Collage<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

5 ways to prepare for El Nino\u2019s extreme weather this winter\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

The atmospheric changes are so complex that different parts of the U.S. will endure vastly different impacts from El Ni\u00f1o. (There\u2019s also a lot of uncertainty here: Models can predict general changes across regions, but no one can tell you what the weather will be in a given spot a month from now.) California, for example, typically sees increased rainfall and flooding. The Midwest might be relatively better off with a milder, drier winter, whereas the Southeast could get colder and wetter.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Which is all to say: Things are going to get very weird, and often very dangerous, across the U.S. To break it all down by region, Grist spoke to state climatologists and meteorologists. Here\u2019s what they expect in the months ahead.<\/p>\n

\"Two<\/p>\n

This winter\u2019s outlook, region by region<\/p>\n

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration\u2019s outlook for December through February predicts a warm North and a wet South. Darker shading means higher confidence in the forecast. Click a region to learn more.<\/p>\n

TemperaturePrecipitation<\/p>\n

Slightly favors warmerFavors warmerNear normalEqual chancesSlightly favors wetterFavors wetterSlightly favors drierFavors drierEqual chancesAlaskaThe Gulf of Alaska coast is likely in for a mild winter. The west could go either way.Western Alaska and the interior are likely to run dry. The southeast shows no clear signal. Read the section \u2193<\/a>Hawai\u02bbi and the Pacific IslandsNo clear tilt toward warm or cool for Hawai\u02bbi.The forecast favors a dry winter in Hawai\u02bbi and the western Pacific Islands. Read the section \u2193<\/a>MidwestMinnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan lean toward a warm winter.Northern Michigan and Wisconsin lean dry, while the region\u2019s western edge leans wet. Read the section \u2193<\/a>NortheastFrom Pennsylvania to Maine and the mid-Atlantic, a warm winter is likely.The coast, from Maryland to Maine, leans wet. Read the section \u2193<\/a>Northern Great PlainsAcross the plains, temperatures are likely to be higher, especially in northwest Montana and eastern North Dakota.Montana leans slightly toward dry, particularly in the west. Eastern Nebraska leans wet. Read the section \u2193<\/a>NorthwestWashington, northern Oregon, and the Idaho panhandle are likely to run warm.A split forecast: Northern Idaho and parts of eastern Washington lean dry, while southern Oregon leans wet. Read the section \u2193<\/a>SouthwestColorado\u2019s plains lean warm.The whole Southwest, including southern Arizona, leans wet. Read the section \u2193<\/a>Southeast + U.S. CaribbeanThe stretch from Arkansas to Virginia leans warm.The chance of a wet winter tops 50 percent along the Gulf and Atlantic coasts. Read the section \u2193<\/a>Southern Great PlainsKansas and eastern Oklahoma lean warm; Texas is a toss-up.Kansas, Oklahoma, and most of Texas lean wet. Read the section \u2193<\/a>CaliforniaThe coast and the north lean warm; the southeastern deserts could go either way.Southern California is likely to see a wet winter. The north leans wet. Read the section \u2193<\/a><\/p>\n

Alaska<\/p>\n

Alaska is America\u2019s largest state and home to all of its Arctic territory. That makes it uniquely vulnerable to the effects of climate change, which is warming the region several times faster than the rest of the planet. El Ni\u00f1o years add a blast of heat on top of that warming, intensifying local effects in the short term.\u00a0<\/p>\n

A strong El Ni\u00f1o, like the current one, tends to strengthen the Aleutian Low, a broad area of low pressure over the North Pacific that helps shape Alaska\u2019s winter weather. But El Ni\u00f1o is only one of many factors influencing the Low\u2019s strength and location. Depending on how these conditions line up in any given year, the state could experience vastly different outcomes. That makes the effects of El Ni\u00f1o especially difficult to predict in Alaska, said Martin Stuefer, the state climatologist and director of the Alaska Climate Research Center at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have to be on the lookout for more intense events, that\u2019s for sure,\u201d Stuefer said. \u201cBut we should be cautious about making conclusions based on what we know now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Evidence from previous El Ni\u00f1o events indicates that populated regions along the Gulf of Alaska and the state\u2019s southeast might experience warmer winter temperatures, and precipitation may fall as rain instead of snow, Stuefer said. According to the National Weather Service<\/a>, most strong El Ni\u00f1o years have resulted in below-average snowfall in Alaska.<\/p>\n

Anything that intensifies warming in the state isn\u2019t welcome news. Climate change is already melting away sea ice, leaving Alaska\u2019s vast shorelines exposed to erosion during storms. It\u2019s also thawing permafrost \u2014 the frozen ground found across much of Alaska \u2014 to collapse. Meanwhile, warmer waters are setting the stage for harmful algae blooms and changing the distribution of fish species that Native Alaskans have depended on for generations. A strong El Ni\u00f1o in the coming months could add to these pressures.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Sachi Mulkey<\/p>\n

Hawai\u02bbi and the Pacific Islands<\/p>\n

Hawai\u02bbi and the Pacific have had a tough year already, and El Ni\u00f1o threatens to cause even more disruption. Low-pressure storms known as Kona lows and hurricanes have hit Hawai\u02bbi throughout the summer and fall, leading to severe flooding and power outages. Elsewhere in the region, super-typhoons like Sinlaku made landfall, causing 17 deaths in the western Pacific.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In the coming months, Pacific islands are broadly expected to face drier conditions and stronger storms. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, for example, Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands are facing an above-normal typhoon season, which will build on an already destructive summer and fall period. The threat is in addition to the rising probability of storms, fueled by warming ocean waters due to climate change.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIt only takes one storm to come over the island to cause crazy rainfall and devastation,\u201d said Ryan Longman, who is the consortium program director at the University of Hawai\u02bbi at M\u0101noa for the Pacific Islands Climate Adaptation Science Center.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Pacific islands are also bracing for a drier winter and spring. In Hawai\u02bbi, a strong El Ni\u00f1o can lead to a drier wet season, which typically lasts from October to March. That could mean less water available for residential, agricultural, and commercial uses and elevated wildfire risk.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The landscape is currently thick with grass and other vegetation from a historically wet summer. As the climate shifts toward drier conditions, those fuels on the landscape will dry up, increasing the chances of wildfires. Longman suggested that residents clear dry grasses and other fuels from their properties to reduce their risk.\u00a0<\/p>\n

For some Pacific islands, historic patterns suggest that the worst drought effects come the year following El Ni\u00f1o\u2019s onset, meaning the most severe impacts could arrive in early to mid-2027.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u2014 Joseph Lee<\/p>\n

Read Next<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"An<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

Whether it\u2019s \u2018super\u2019 or \u2018Godzilla,\u2019 El Ni\u00f1o is already breaking records<\/a><\/p>\n

Midwest<\/p>\n

The Midwest may catch a break when El Ni\u00f1o peaks this winter.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The cyclical climate pattern is mostly associated with milder, drier winters in the Midwest. El Ni\u00f1o shifts the polar jet stream \u2014 the band of fast-moving Arctic air high in the atmosphere \u2014 farther north, making it less likely that cold winds will dip into the region, resulting in warmer temperatures.<\/p>\n

That doesn\u2019t rule out snow and winter storms, though. It only means that average temperatures between December and February tend to be somewhat warmer. During recent strong El Ni\u00f1o events, winter temperatures ranged from 3 degrees Fahrenheit to more than 8 degrees F warmer than the 20th-century average, according to the U.S. Geological Survey<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Midwest has already experienced a warmer fall this year, said Daria Kluver, a professor in the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at Central Michigan University. Average September temperatures<\/a> across the region were the highest in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration\u2019s 132-year record. Illinois and Missouri had their warmest September on record; Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Indiana, and Michigan also saw above-average temperatures.\u00a0<\/p>\n

That warmth will continue into the winter. And reduced ice cover on the Great Lakes could contribute to the warmer temperatures, Kluver said. Without as much ice, warmth stored in the lakes over the summer is likely to slowly dissipate into the surrounding air. The changes in ice cover could impact Great Lakes economies, recreation<\/a>, and the ecosystems<\/a> that depend on it.<\/p>\n

Fall has been dry so far, but winter might not be. Kluver said precipitation levels will depend on other dynamics like Arctic sea-ice levels and Atlantic Ocean currents. But the El Ni\u00f1o typically tilts the odds toward less snowfall and more rain or ice.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhether you find that good or bad maybe depends on what you do for winter recreation,\u201d Kluver said.<\/p>\n

El Ni\u00f1o could also mean a reprieve from the Midwest\u2019s record-setting tornadoes next year, according to Chris Callahan, a climate scientist and assistant professor at Indiana University Bloomington.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are likely to have a relatively quiet tornado season in the spring, because those tornadoes are shifted south into [states] like Arkansas, Georgia, and so they might have a more active tornado season,\u201d Callahan said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u2014 Vivian La and Juanpablo Ramirez-Franco<\/p>\n

Northeast<\/p>\n

The Northeast has so far avoided El Ni\u00f1o\u2019s impacts \u2014 but that\u2019s about to change.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Brad Pugh, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service\u2019s extended prediction division, said the unusually strong El Ni\u00f1o this year gives the Northeast more than a 50 percent chance of a milder-than-normal winter. There could also be more precipitation, he added, though those odds will vary within the region.<\/p>\n

While areas farther east are generally more likely to be wet, he said, \u201cit\u2019s hard to tell how much is going to be rain or snow.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Government outlooks don\u2019t include snow totals because snow is difficult to predict far ahead. But the winter outlook from AccuWeather<\/a>, a private forecasting company, projects fewer flakes for the Northeast. That, however, doesn\u2019t mean the region won\u2019t see snow, Pugh added.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe forecast leaning on the wetter side does raise the prospects that there could be some high-impact winter storms,\u201d he said, pointing to the I-95 corridor between New York and Boston as one area that could be hit. He suggested keeping an eye on the NWS\u2019 eight- to 14-day forecasts to get a more accurate and timely sense of what weather may be on the way.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Even water that falls as rain could be concerning, said Auroop Ganguly, a hydrologist and co-director of Northeastern University\u2019s Global Resilience Institute. \u201cIf I were an urban planner, I\u2019d plan more for the possibility of flooding in urban areas,\u201d he said. A mix of rain, snow, and ice on the roads could also make driving dangerous. \u201cI\u2019d prepare for somewhat more hazardous conditions on the roads.\u201d<\/p>\n

Still, many in the region may welcome El Ni\u00f1o\u2019s arrival, especially after last winter, which was the coldest in a decade<\/a>. Milder temperatures this year could, for example, lower heating needs at a time when heating oil and electricity prices are spiking.\u00a0<\/p>\n

As for the prospect of a warmer winter in the Northeast, said Ganguly, \u201cMost people would say, \u2018I\u2019ll take it.’\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2014 Tik Root<\/p>\n

Read Next<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

The \u2018super El Ni\u00f1o\u2019 is here. What happens next could upend food systems worldwide.<\/a><\/p>\n

Northern Great Plains<\/p>\n

There is less certainty about the total El Ni\u00f1o impacts for the Northern Great Plains compared to the rest of the country. Nebraska, Montana, and the Dakotas are expecting a warmer-than-average winter, but rain and snowfall forecasts across these states are less conclusive.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In Nebraska, some of those effects may already be emerging. Earlier this fall, the eastern part of the state experienced milder temperatures and heavy rain, leading to flash flooding. Wetter-than-normal conditions are likely to continue in eastern Nebraska through winter, increasing the risk of additional floods, said Eric Hunt, a University of Nebraska-Lincoln agriculture meteorology and climate resilience extension educator. The state could still see intense winter storms, and western Nebraska could experience a wetter winter, though those forecasts are less certain.<\/p>\n

Farther north in the Dakotas, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has forecasted<\/a> a 40 percent to 60 percent chance of higher average temperatures from December to February. For North Dakota, that still means average temperatures below freezing. Winter also tends to be dry in both states, and forecasts for precipitation are variable, according to both states\u2019 climatologists.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In South Dakota, a snowy winter could alleviate drought, replenish surface water, and reduce fire risk in the Black Hills, said state climatologist Laura Edwards. A dry winter in the state could be a tipping point for drought conditions next spring.<\/p>\n

In North Dakota, it\u2019s not clear if any precipitation this winter would improve drought conditions, said Daryl Ritchison, North Dakota state climatologist and director of the North Dakota Agricultural Weather Network. One winter storm could push seasonal totals above average for precipitation for the season, but if the winter remains dry and spring rains are slow to arrive, fire risk might increase.<\/p>\n

Montana faces much of the same uncertainty. In the Northern Rockies, the odds favor a below-average snow year \u2014 but only slightly, said Kyle Bocinsky, the director of climate extension with the Montana Climate Office. Montana has experienced four strong El Ni\u00f1o events in the past 40 years; three saw below-normal precipitation and snowpack, but one saw above-normal snowpack. \u201cIt\u2019s a small sample size,\u201d Bocinsky said, which makes it hard to definitively say what the impacts will be. \u201cIt\u2019s still a fifty-fifty chance,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Bocinsky said warmer temperatures could make for a rainy winter similar to last year, particularly at lower elevations. Like much of the Great Plains, eastern Montana is still in drought carried over from last year\u2019s mild winter. Farmers and ranchers are hoping snow settles on the landscape this year, but it\u2019s just too soon to tell, he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u2014 Ellis Juhlin and Anila Yoganathan<\/p>\n

Northwest<\/p>\n

The Pacific Northwest typically sits in the center lane of a storm highway. Every winter, ocean storms travel across this familiar route, delivering a steady supply of the cool, drizzly weather that gives the region its gloomy charm. But El Ni\u00f1o is likely to reroute this storm track to the south, dumping rain onto sunny California instead. This often leaves the Northwest warmer, and sometimes drier, than usual.<\/p>\n

That combination could be a double whammy for mountain snow, which is the main source of water for much of the Northwest, since snow can\u2019t form if it\u2019s too warm or too dry. \u201cIf we were to get both of those this year \u2014 both the warmer temperatures and less precipitation \u2014 that could spell trouble for our snowpack,\u201d said Jacob Genuise, an engagement climatologist at the Washington State Climate Office.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Climate change is also slowly chipping away at snow levels. Since the mid-20th century, snow levels in Washington\u2019s Cascades have been steadily decreasing in both El Ni\u00f1o and La Ni\u00f1a years alike. These factors could lead to less snow stored in the mountains<\/a> for next spring and summer, driving up the risk of drought or wildfires, and leaving less water available for irrigation, drinking water, or hydropower.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Scatter<\/p>\n

On the coast, El Ni\u00f1o can also lead to more tidal flooding. As ocean and wind patterns shift across the Pacific, seawater can get pushed toward the West Coast, raising high tide levels by several inches. This extra tidal boost could also combine with sea level rise, storm surges, or winter king tides to drive up the flood risk in Washington\u2019s and Oregon\u2019s coastal communities. \u201cIt\u2019s not a huge effect,\u201d said Genuise. \u201cBut that can mean the difference between a property getting flooded or not during these El Ni\u00f1o years.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2014 Jesse Nichols<\/p>\n

Southwest<\/p>\n

El Ni\u00f1o often delivers rain and snow to the Southwest and could bring a glimmer of hope to a region suffering historic drought. Jon Meyer, assistant state climatologist at the Utah Climate Center, expects the weather pattern to bring \u201cfavorable storm activity\u201d to the desert Southwest, including Arizona and New Mexico, with effects bleeding into Nevada and parts of southern Utah and southern Colorado.<\/p>\n

But northern Utah, which is home to most of the state\u2019s population, \u201cis right in the bull\u2019s-eye of being very unpredictable,\u201d he said. Colorado\u2019s outlook is also mixed. El Ni\u00f1o tends to bring more precipitation in spring and fall, but it also typically creates drier conditions for the Northern Rockies, said Peter Goble, assistant state climatologist at the Colorado Climate Center.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThe strong El Ni\u00f1o, as interesting a story as it\u2019s been,\u201d he said, \u201cdoesn\u2019t guarantee us anything.\u201d<\/p>\n

The region is in dire need of snowpack in the winter months ahead. Utah\u2019s Great Salt Lake hovers just a few inches above eclipsing the record-low elevation it set in 2022, and its vast exposed lake bed is drying into a dust source impacting the health of the roughly 2.5 million residents living in cities near its shores. Meanwhile, Lake Mead and Lake Powell, the nation\u2019s largest reservoirs, saw a fraction of their normal inflows from the Colorado River and set their own record lows over the fall. Around 40 million people in the West depend on water supplies delivered by the Colorado River system.<\/p>\n

The early autumn run-up to the super El Ni\u00f1o<\/a> has already brought downpours, sending torrents through city streets and arroyos across the region. Arizona is already facing flash flooding and could now see tornadoes and other extreme weather, according to meteorologists at AccuWeather.<\/p>\n

More moisture would boost desiccated reservoirs and reduce sleepless nights for farmers, but experts are already repeating an all-too-familiar warning: One good year won\u2019t solve the region\u2019s water woes. Western states saw record-breaking snow in 2023. Today, that moisture is gone, and both the Rio Grande and Colorado River basins look more stressed than ever. Climatologists say those extreme oscillations will become more common as climate change heats up the region.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Austin Corona and Leia Larsen<\/p>\n

Read Next<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

Why haven\u2019t we had an Atlantic hurricane yet? Thank El Ni\u00f1o.<\/a><\/p>\n

Southeast and the U.S. Caribbean islands<\/p>\n

For the notoriously hot and humid Southeastern U.S., El Ni\u00f1o typically has two main effects: It gets wetter and it can bring bouts of cold weather. In general, climate change is making the Southeast warmer and more susceptible to both drought and heavy rainfall events, and winter temperatures drop below freezing far less often. But that long-term warming trend doesn\u2019t rule out frigid winter days and nights this year.<\/p>\n

The wet weather comes down to the same forces that inundate the Southwest during an El Ni\u00f1o cycle, according to Chuck Watson, a Georgia-based disaster researcher who tracks weather impacts worldwide.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat jet of air that\u2019s coming across California continues on across the Gulf of Mexico and drags moisture from the Gulf and whatever was left over after it rained all over California,\u201d he said. \u201cIt drags that across the Southeast.\u201d<\/p>\n

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is predicting enough rainfall between mid-October and the end of January to improve or eliminate drought conditions in several parts of the region, which has grappled with an unusual level of drought over the last year. The period from September 2025 through April 2026 was the driest in Georgia history, fueling wildfires in the spring that destroyed homes and forced evacuations; other states in the region also saw precipitation levels at or near record lows over the same period. As a result, the U.S. Department of Agriculture declared disasters due to drought in more than 200 counties in the spring.\u00a0<\/p>\n

El Ni\u00f1o might also bring ice storms. The wet air moving east from California typically interacts with a flow of Arctic air high in the atmosphere, Watson said, creating the potential for colder weather. For a region that doesn\u2019t deal with sustained temperatures too far below freezing most winters, the combination often means ice storms that people and infrastructure aren\u2019t accustomed to.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s really just a recipe that\u2019s ripe for disaster,\u201d Watson said. \u201cThat tends to be just bad news all around for tree limbs falling and slick roads and particularly extended power outages.\u201d<\/p>\n

One piece of good news for much of the Southeast is that El Ni\u00f1o typically suppresses hurricane formation in the Atlantic<\/a>. So while Hurricane Isaias wreaked havoc when it hit the region in early October, it was also the first Atlantic hurricane this year \u2014 an incredibly rare occurrence<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

But the reprieve from tropical systems doesn\u2019t apply equally, Watson said. El Ni\u00f1o\u2019s effect on the complex upper air currents that steer hurricanes actually makes the band across South Florida and the Bahamas more likely to be hit by a hurricane, he said.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Emily Jones<\/p>\n

Southern Great Plains<\/p>\n

When it rains, it pours. El Ni\u00f1o is expected to bring much-needed relief to the drought-stricken Southern Great Plains. The upcoming event is significant enough that the Texas Railroad Commission, a state agency that oversees oil and gas production, recently issued a notice<\/a> warning operators that \u201cthis event may be outside the historical envelope\u201d and that \u201cpast El Ni\u00f1o events may not be a good guide to this event.\u201d<\/p>\n

But unless this winter is exceptionally wet, it is unlikely to eliminate drought conditions entirely.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s because a wet winter won\u2019t ease every impact at once, and different sectors may see varying effects, said Andrew Hoell, a research meteorologist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Depleted aquifers, for instance, may take years to return to normal levels, whereas agriculture might rebound quickly depending on when and where the rain falls.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In Texas, El Ni\u00f1o tends to increase seasonal snowfall totals in the north and west, but not for the rest of the state, said state climatologist John Nielsen-Gammon.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cOver the longer term, the warming trend in place over the past several decades is expected to continue,\u201d said Nielsen-Gammon, referring to climate change. A 2024 report<\/a> that he authored concluded that \u201cextreme rainfall is strongly affected by increased temperatures.\u201d<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, El Ni\u00f1o\u2019s effects in Kansas are less certain because of the state\u2019s central U.S. location. Hoell described Kansas as a \u201ctoss-up\u201d in a \u201ctransition zone\u201d and emphasized that regional impacts in northern Kansas may be more pronounced.\u00a0<\/p>\n

If the past is any indication, though, Kansas too might be in for a wetter winter. The National Weather Service in Wichita examined 11 strong to very strong El Ni\u00f1os since 1950<\/a> and concluded the event produced above-average precipitation across Kansas from fall through early to mid-spring.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u2014 Celeste Guajardo<\/p>\n

Read Next<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

California has a plan for El Ni\u00f1o\u2019s torrential rain: Save it for later<\/a><\/p>\n

California<\/p>\n

Like a camel stumbling into a desert oasis, California could soon get more water than it can possibly use all at once. El Ni\u00f1o can bestow the Golden State with increased rainfall<\/a> \u2014 so much extra water, in fact, that Governor Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency<\/a> to prepare the state to fight coastal flooding and erosion (partly due to an oceanic \u201cKelvin wave\u201d slamming into California<\/a>) and monster storms.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The built environment wasn\u2019t made for this. For centuries, the mantra has been to funnel rainwater into sewers and rivers as quickly as possible to keep it from flooding cities. Climate change is already making it rain harder<\/a>, pushing wastewater systems to their limits. Now comes El Ni\u00f1o, supercharging rainfall even further. Worst case, this winter the state gets successions of the punishing storms known as atmospheric rivers, saturating soils and overwhelming sewers. That could overwhelm crops<\/a> in the state\u2019s bountiful Central Valley and dump dangerous amounts of snow<\/a> in its Sierra Nevada mountains to the east.\u00a0<\/p>\n

California has been preparing for this moment<\/a>, though. Los Angeles, for example, is deploying \u201csponge\u201d infrastructure like roadside gardens, which allow rainwater to soak into the ground instead of pooling on streets. (Over just a few rainy days in 2024, the city captured enough stormwater to supply 106,000 households for a year<\/a>.) The state has also been working with farmers to divert rain into open spaces, where it can seep into the dirt and recharge underlying aquifers<\/a>. \u201cEssentially, the top line is: flood-safe and recharge-ready,\u201d said Steven Springhorn, supervising engineering geologist in the California Department of Water Resources\u2019 sustainable groundwater management office. \u201cFlood safety and flood response is our number one priority going into a year like this.\u201d<\/p>\n

Counterintuitively, extreme rainfall could also prime the California landscape to burn catastrophically. More water means more plant growth, which desiccates through the summer \u2014 and this one could be extra hot if El Ni\u00f1o remains strong<\/a> \u2014 turning into tinder. The wildfire danger could be particularly acute next fall, when intense seasonal winds can turn a spark into an inescapable blaze<\/a>. With the state already cycling between extra-dry and extra-wet periods thanks to climate change<\/a>, El Ni\u00f1o could literally add more fuel to the fire.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Matt Simon<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A monster is growing in the Pacific \u2014 not the kraken, but something far scarier and deadlier. El…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":964219,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[49,48,295,6094,54429,66],"class_list":["post-964218","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-environment","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-environment","tag-extreme-weather","tag-longform","tag-science"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/964218","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=964218"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/964218\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/964219"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=964218"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=964218"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=964218"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}