The story so far
- El Niño Drives Record Pacific Hurricane Activity16 sources
- El Niño Expected to Shape US Winter WeatherYou are here
- Study: Warming Outweighed El Niño in Boosting Hurricane Polo3 sourcesLatest
Updated 3m ago · Science
El Niño Expected to Shape US Winter Weather
NOAA's Climate Prediction Center issued its December-to-February outlook Thursday. It says a very strong El Niño will dominate U.S. winter weather.
- No part of the U.S. is forecast to be colder than normal.
- Wetter-than-average conditions are favored from the Southwest to the Southeast.
- The Pacific Northwest, Great Lakes and New England have the best warm odds.
- Only the northern Rockies and northern Great Lakes lean drier than normal.
Why it matters: El Niño tends to steer the jet stream toward the southern U.S. That brings more storms there and milder, drier conditions up north.
- California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared an emergency over flood and storm risk.
- Drought is forecast to ease in the Southwest, Southern Plains and Southeast.
How 11 sources split on this story
Source landscape
Factuality
High
Mixed
Low
Strong LeftLeftLean LeftCenterLean RightRightStrong Right
Political Bias
Coverage by lean
11 sources · 13 articles · 46% Left coverage
Center coverage, 4 sources: The center frames it as a practical consumer guide to where winter will run warm, cold, wet or dry.
USA Today7hOfficial winter weather forecast released. How cold will it be?Newsweek10hNew maps show US winter outlook as El Niño strengthensWKBN Youngstown7hNOAA releases winter outlook amid strong El NiñoWPXI Pittsburgh6hUS winter is likely to be wetter and warmer, forecasters say. If you want more snow, look south
Left coverage, 5 sources: The left frames the outlook around storm and flood risk, regional snow losses, and a warming climate amplifying El Niño.
CNN7hSuper El Niño will determine which parts of US get rain and snow this winterThe Boston Globe6hEl Niño winter in New England looks less snowy, warm but still wetThe Independent3hNOAA issues new US winter forecast - and a warning for East Coast citiesCBS News5hWinter may bring snow and rain to some drought-stricken U.S. states, new forecast showsThe Guardian2hUS winter is likely to be wetter and warmer, forecasters say, with more snow in the south
Right coverage, 2 sources: The right frames it as new federal maps showing probabilities, stressing they are odds rather than firm predictions.
What’s next: El Niño is likely to peak in December and shape weather through February.
- Snow totals remain uncertain because storm tracks can't be predicted more than a week out.
- Will California repeat the record rainfall and flooding of the 1997-98 super El Niño?
- Will enough cold air line up with East Coast storms to produce major snowstorms?
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