NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Temperatures across Middle Tennessee and Southern Kentucky are heating up as we approach the summer months, and according to scientists at the Climate Prediction Center, ocean temperatures in the eastern equatorial Pacific are also heating up.
Why do ocean temperatures in the eastern equatorial Pacific matter? Because that is where the El Niño Southern Oscillation is, and it’s an ocean current that typically has a big impact on our weather in the United States. For the last couple of years, the El Niño Southern Oscillation has been in the cool or neutral phase, but the latest data is showing the warm phase is likely for the rest of 2026.
The warm phase is called El Niño, and the cool phase is called La Niña.
According to Nashville National Weather Service Meteorologist Krissy Hurrley, this upcoming El Niño is expected to be strong and will likely affect the type of weather we see for the rest of the year…