El Niño Is Here and May Become "Very Strong"
Well, it's official: El Niño has arrived, according to the Climate Prediction Center.
The natural phenomenon, which can have wide-ranging impacts on temperature and precipitation, has been a hot topic this spring, with talk of a so-called "Super El Niño" dominating the headlines.
Will this one really be strong, though? Amid all the buzz, the Climate Prediction Center has stayed relatively conservative, previously noting that "there is still substantial uncertainty in the peak strength of El Niño." But now, in this latest update, they've upped the "very strong" El Niño odds.
"There is a 63% chance of a very strong El Niño during November-January that would rank among the largest El Niño events in the historical record going back to 1950," the organization wrote.
This may lead to more extreme weather and hotter temperatures around the world. The hottest years on record, 2023 and 2024, aligned with El Niño, even as climate change is the main driver behind rising temperatures.
El Niño is also poised to set the stage for weather events like droughts and flooding, which have both already been bolstered by climate change.
Related: What Does the "Super El Niño" Mean for Next Ski Season? Experts Weigh In
What About the 2026-27 Ski Season?
In the U.S., the typical El Niño pattern boosts the subtropical jet stream, making for more winter precipitation in Southern California, the Southwest, and the Southeast U.S. This includes Colorado, one of several western states that, after a memorably challenging and dry winter, could use more snow.
Meanwhile, over the Northern Rockies and Ohio and Tennessee valleys, the opposite is true, with drier weather. Warm temperatures across the northern U.S. are also part of the El Niño pattern. Generally, these effects are most pronounced during the Northern Hemisphere winter.
As for strength, that's significant because powerful El Niños can hit the atmosphere harder, reinforcing the historical patterns.
But it wouldn't be wise to start counting powder days quite yet.
"Even very strong El Niño events do not lead to the expected impact everywhere," the Climate Prediction Center report reads.
And, in a news release, Ken Graham, the director of NOAA's National Weather Service, said, "Every El Niño is not the same; each one is unique with its own imprint on our weather."
"Advanced monitoring and an improved understanding of El Niño patterns allow the NWS to better predict and better prepare the public and our core partners for what is to come," he continued.
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Related: Killington Ski Resort Investing $25 Million in Improvements This Summer
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This story was originally published June 12, 2026 at 12:17 PM.