AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – A major shift thousands of miles away in the Pacific Ocean is already underway, and it could influence what we experience this winter across the Central Savannah River Area.
El Niño is strengthening, and a strong to very strong event is likely to continue through much of the winter. An analysis of six past strong El Niño winters in Augusta found that most were wetter than the recent historical average. But the same records show why no two winters are alike.
What is El Niño?
El Niño occurs when waters in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean are warmer than average, and the atmosphere responds to that warming.
Normally, trade winds push warm surface water westward toward Asia, allowing cooler water to rise near South America. When those winds weaken, warm water can spread eastward and upwelling of cooler water can diminish. The result can be a shift in weather patterns far beyond the Pacific.
A strong, potentially historic event
In its Nov. 12, 2026, El Niño diagnostic discussion, NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center said El Niño was strengthening and that a strong to very strong event was likely through January–March 2027, with a greater than 79% chance…