[VIDEO] Meteorologist Chris Tomer’s September Update

Hot on the heels of his winter forecast, meteorologist Chris Tomer has released an exciting new September update. Mostly, he focuses on the incredible activity we’re witnessing in the tropical Pacific due to the current super El Niño. We could be seeing three hurricanes simultaneously at times this week, as unusually warm, moisture-rich air feeds storm systems.

Some of this moisture is surging north into the Western U.S. Mostly, this is great news for a region that has been parched by one of its driest winters in measurable history. Utah has seen about three to five times its normal August precipitation in many places. With many reservoirs remaining at devastatingly low levels, every drop counts. 

However, most people have also heard the unfortunate news about fatal flash flooding in the Grand Canyon and Zion National Park. Unusually intense precipitation has quickly filled canyon systems across the desert Southwest, producing dangerous flooding. 

• Related: [VIDEO] Chris Tomer’s Winter 2026-2027 Forecast: Super El Niño Inbound, Here’s What That Could Mean For Ski Areas

Going Forward

While September normally brings drier air as the monsoon fades, this month looks set to remain active. There’s simply so much moisture arriving from the tropical Pacific. 

El Niño, which is now running at a ferocious 2.7℃ anomaly, is the “locomotive” driving this pattern. Tomer points out that precipitable water amounts in the atmosphere are running exceptionally high over the anomalously warm equatorial Pacific. This moisture is fueling the ongoing monsoon as well as several hurricanes. 

Interestingly, models are split on whether the remnants of some of these tropical systems make a direct hit on the Western U.S. A northward shift could bring a storm ashore around California or Baja, bringing more heavy rain and flash flooding in the process.

Lastly, Tomer speculates that moisture could remain in the Intermountain west in October. Perhaps this could fuel some early season snowpack.

• Related: The World’s Oceans Just Hit Their Hottest Temperature on Record — Here’s What It Means for Snow