NOAA June 2025 ENSO Update: Neutral Conditions—Neither El Niño nor La Niña—Most Likely for Winter 2025-26 This post first appeared on the climate.gov ENSO blog and was written by Emily Becker. The Pacific Ocean has hit pause and settled into ENSO-neutral conditions, which are expected to continue through the Northern Hemisphere summer. This makes seasonal forecasting for upcoming global rain, temperature, and other patterns a bit trickier. Related: These Are the 6 Ski Areas Open in […] Weather WeatherBrains | June 13, 2025 0 Comments
Is Early Season Snow a Harbinger of Good or Bad News—A Statistical Analysis for Australia With the first snow of the season hitting Australian resorts such as Perisher and Thredbo, excitement for the 2025 season is starting to build. The idea that an early dusting portends a stellar winter has deep roots in ski lore, bolstered by the thrill of advanced openings and first turns on untouched snow. While early-season snowfall certainly generates enthusiasm, some […] Brains Julia Schneemann | May 18, 2025 0 Comments
NOAA May 2025 ENSO Update: Next Winter Likely ENSO-Neutral, Although La Niña a Possibility This post first appeared on the climate.gov ENSO blog. The tropical Pacific is in ENSO-neutral conditions, and neutral is expected to continue through the Northern Hemisphere summer. Neutral is also the most likely outcome for the fall and winter, although chances of La Niña are a close second. Today, as your trusty representative of the ENSO forecast team, I’ll cover […] Weather WeatherBrains | May 8, 2025 0 Comments
NOAA April 2025 ENSO Update: La Niña has Ended This post first appeared on the climate.gov ENSO blog. After just a few months of La Niña conditions, the tropical Pacific is now ENSO-neutral, and forecasters expect neutral to continue through the Northern Hemisphere summer. Neutral is also the most likely state through the fall (greater than 50% chance). Related: NOAA: Did La Niña Shape North American Precipitation this Winter […] Weather WeatherBrains | April 12, 2025 0 Comments
NOAA ENSO Update January 2025: 59% Chance La Niña February–April and 60% Chance of Neutral Conditions in March–May This post first appeared on the climate.gov ENSO Blog and was written by Emily Becker La Niña conditions emerged in the tropical Pacific in December. There’s a 59% chance La Niña will persist through February–April, followed by a 60% chance of neutral conditions in March–May. Read on for the recent observations that led us to declare the (long-awaited) onset of […] Weather WeatherBrains | January 10, 2025 0 Comments
NOAA ENSO December 2024 Update: Weak La Niña Forecast Packs Surprising Punch This post first appeared on the climate.gov ENSO blog and was written by Nat Johnson Although it’s taking its sweet old time to get going, a weak La Niña, the cool phase of the El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO), is expected to develop this winter. Much like I did last November, I thought it would be a good time to delve into how these expected tropical […] Weather WeatherBrains | December 11, 2024 0 Comments
Weak La Niña Poised to Influence U.S. Winter Precipitation Patterns The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) has shared on its ENSO blog that a weak La Niña, the cooler phase of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), is expected to develop this winter, shifting North America’s precipitation patterns. Contributors he ENSO blog are, amongst others, Michelle L’Heureux (NOAA Climate Prediction Center), Emily Becker (University of Miami/CIMAS), Nat Johnson (NOAA Geophysical […] Industry News SnowBrains | December 5, 2024 0 Comments
NOAA November 2024 ENSO Update: 57% Chance Weak La Niña Will Develop Soon Then Last Through Winter This post first appeared on the climate.gov ENSO blog and was written by Emily Becker. There’s a 57% chance La Niña will develop soon. This is late for La Niña to arrive, and it’s very likely to be a weak event at most. However, even a weak event can influence temperature, rain, and snow patterns across the world. Today, we’ll […] Weather WeatherBrains | November 14, 2024 0 Comments
NOAA ENSO Update: La Niña’s Historical Impact – What to Expect for Snow This Winter This article about the impact of La Niña on snow first appeared on the climate.gov ENSO blog and was written by Tom Di Liberto. I’ll cut to the chase. Spooky season is coming to an end, and people are beginning to set their sights on winter. And when it comes to winter, there’s a big, white, abominable “elephant” in the […] Weather WeatherBrains | October 25, 2024 0 Comments
NOAA ENSO October 2024 Update: Confidence of La Niña Emerging This Winter Decreased to 60% Chance This ENSO update first appeared on the climate.gov ENSO Blog and was written by Emily Becker. The tropical Pacific Ocean reflected neutral conditions—neither El Niño nor La Niña—in September. Forecasters continue to favor La Niña later this year, with an approximately 60% chance it will develop in September–November. The probability of La Niña is a bit lower than last month, […] Weather WeatherBrains | October 10, 2024 0 Comments
NOAA ENSO May 2024 Update: 69% Chance Weakening El Niño Will Transition to La Niña by Fall El Niño weakened substantially over the past month, and we think a transition to neutral conditions is imminent. There’s a 69% chance that La Niña will develop by July–September (and nearly 50-50 odds by June-August). Let’s kick off the ENSO Blog’s tin anniversary with our 121st ENSO outlook update! Attention! First things first: our beloved editor, Rebecca Lindsey, has trained […] Weather WeatherBrains | May 9, 2024 0 Comments
NOAA ENSO Update April 2024: 85% Chance La Niña Develops Next Winter The El Niño of 2023–24 is weakening. Forecasters estimate an 85% chance that El Niño will end and the tropical Pacific will transition to neutral conditions by the April–June period. There’s a 60% chance that La Niña will develop by June–August. Overall, the forecast this month is very similar to last month, and we continue to expect La Niña for […] Weather WeatherBrains | April 12, 2024 0 Comments
NOAA ENSO January 2024 Update: El Niño Reaching Peak Strength | 60% Chance of La Niña in Late-Summer/Fall El Niño is very likely close to peak strength and is likely to continue for the next few months while gradually weakening. Despite the expected weakening of El Niño’s tropical Pacific sea surface signature, impacts to global climate will continue for the next few months. Forecasters currently expect ENSO-neutral conditions (ENSO = El Niño/Southern Oscillation, the whole El Niño & […] Weather WeatherBrains | January 12, 2024 0 Comments
NOAA ENSO Update December 2023: 54% Chance El Niño Will be “Historically Strong” in Top 5 on Record El Niño is zipping along in the tropical Pacific. There’s a 54% chance that this El Niño event will end up “historically strong” (more details below), potentially ranking in the top 5 on record. Looking ahead, it’s likely that El Niño will end and neutral conditions return by April–June. Sail across the Pacific El Niño is associated with specific changes […] Weather WeatherBrains | December 14, 2023 0 Comments
NOAA ENSO Blog: How Does El Niño Influence Snowfall Over the United States? After the last three winters of La Niña conditions (weren’t we all ready for a change!), the tropical Pacific is looking much different this year, with a strong El Niño likely this winter (1). Historically, how has El Niño shaped precipitation (rainfall + snowfall) over the U.S.? Let’s dig in and find out! Related: SnowBrains Forecast: Colorado to Get Hammered This Weekend – 2+ FEET […] Weather WeatherBrains | December 1, 2023 0 Comments
NOAA ENSO November 2023 Update: This Winter’s El Niño is Officially a Strong Event El Niño is currently chugging along, and forecasters expect it to continue for the next several months, with a 62% chance of lasting through April–June 2024. Since we’re heading into the winter, when El Niño’s effect on Northern Hemisphere temperature and rain/snow is most distinct, today we’ll drive by some of El Niño’s wide-ranging impacts. On rails First stop—this El […] Weather WeatherBrains | November 10, 2023 0 Comments
NOAA ENSO Update October 2023: El Niño is Certain, But How Strong Will it Get? El Niño is currently purring along in the tropical Pacific. Forecasters expect El Niño will continue through the spring, with a 75-85% chance it will become a strong event. A stronger El Niño—definition to follow shortly—means it is more likely that we will see El Niño’s expected thumbprint on winter temperature and rain/snow patterns around the world. Related: 2023-24 El […] Weather WeatherBrains | October 12, 2023 0 Comments
NOAA September ENSO Update: Greater Than 95% Chance El Niño Sticks Around Through March Let’s cut right to the chase. According to the September El Niño-Southern Oscillation (aka ”ENSO”) Outlook, El Niño is expected to stick around (with greater than a 95% chance) at least through January-March 2024. There is now around a 71% chance that this event peaks as a strong El Niño this winter (Oceanic Niño Index ≥ 1.5 ˚Celsius). Remember, though, […] Weather WeatherBrains | September 14, 2023 0 Comments
2023-24 El Niño Outlook: What Are the Implications for North American Ski Season? After three years of moderate La Niña winters, El Niño is poised to return in full force, having major implications for the North American ski season. Let’s look at what El Niño is, how it works, and the impact it will have on snowfall this season. Related: Farmers’ Almanac 2023/24 Winter Forecast: A Return Of Traditional Winter Weather: The Brrr […] Weather WeatherBrains | September 4, 2023 0 Comments
NOAA ENSO August 2023 Update: Greater Than 95% Chance of El Niño This Winter – But What Does That Mean? It’s that time again! And by “that time,” I mean the El Niño forecast update, of course. The chance that El Niño—the warm phase of the El Niño Southern Oscillation (aka “ENSO”) climate pattern—will continue through the winter is greater than 95%, so let’s sharpen our pencils and get into the details of what that means for upcoming seasons. Related: […] Weather WeatherBrains | August 10, 2023 0 Comments