A natural phenomenon has been brewing in the Pacific Ocean: El Niño.
El Niño is a shift in the winds across the Pacific Ocean. During the event, the water temperature of the Pacific Ocean increases, a change that is directly tied to the atmosphere and winds blowing over Pacific Ocean, according to NASA.
These wind changes will drive the circulation of air in the Pacific to redistribute the ocean’s increased temperature, according to NASA. As the Pacific Ocean is the largest on earth, these changes don’t stay local to the Pacific Ocean; the effects can be felt around the world.
In fact, this event is known as “one of the most important weather-producing phenomena on Earth,” according to NASA.
Normally these events only occur every two to seven years. However, this year is set to be the strongest on record. In the past, the El Niño event has “provoked some of the great floods, droughts, forest fires, and coral bleaching events of the past half-century,” according to NASA.
According to The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), El Niño should be the strongest during the winter months. It causes the jet stream winds to move further to the south, driving storms further south and causes drier conditions over the southeastern United States.
“For temperatures, El Niño often leads to a warmer than usual winter over the northern U.S.,” according to NOAA.
According to United States Geological Society, the regional effect on the northeastern United States overall suggests less snow.
Recently, California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency because of the impending El Niño. His order will make it easier for the state to access emergency funds for responding to organizations across the state.
“The Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, in consultation with relevant state agencies, shall expand accessible, multilingual public preparedness communications related to severe weather, flooding, emergency alerts, evacuation readiness, power outages, safe travel, disaster assistance, and household emergency planning,” Newsom said in a statement to the public.
The governor’s office cited the Climate Prediction Center’s projected 69% chance that El Niño will reach historic strength between October and December.
“California is already taking steps now to protect communities from a potentially historic El Niño because we know how serious these weather extremes driven by climate change can be,” California Natural Resources Secretary Wade Crowfoot said in Newsom’s statement.