El Niño Possible: Spring, Hurricane Season Impacts

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NOAA is now forecasting water temperatures in the equatorial Pacific to warm over the next several months, marking a departure from La Niña to El Niño by the peak of the upcoming hurricane season. This transition could bring some changes to the weather in the Lower 48.

Why it matters

El Niño and La Niña weather patterns can have significant impacts on weather and climate conditions across the United States, including temperature, precipitation, and hurricane activity. The shift from La Niña to El Niño could affect weather patterns in the spring and summer months.

The details

Meteorologist Jonathan Belles explains that NOAA's latest forecasts indicate the equatorial Pacific waters are expected to warm in the coming months, transitioning from the current La Niña pattern to an El Niño pattern by the peak of the 2026 hurricane season. This shift in the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) cycle can influence weather patterns across the Lower 48 states.

• NOAA is now forecasting the warming of equatorial Pacific waters over the next several months.
• The transition from La Niña to El Niño is expected by the peak of the 2026 hurricane season.

What’s next

Meteorologists will continue to monitor the development of El Niño conditions in the Pacific and analyze the potential impacts on weather patterns in the United States.