El Niño 2026 Forecast: Strong Event Likely to Shape U.S. Winter Weather

By now, you’ve likely heard that an El Niño event may be developing over the rest of this year, and with high potential to be a strong one by winter. However, you might be wondering why it matters for you specifically—especially when it originates in the tropical Pacific Ocean, thousands of miles from the United States.

The reality is that El Niño has far-reaching impacts on global weather patterns, including across North America. When ocean temperatures in the Pacific rise above average...