"Super El Niño" strikes the United States! Snowfall will rise in some areas, while others will welcome spring.

A weather warning that has drawn attention for the approaching winter in the United States has arrived. It is rapidly strengthening andsuper El NiñoThe climate event described as a 'super El Niño' is expected to significantly change temperature and snowfall patterns nationwide.

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) announced on September 3 that El Niño has now definitively formed and is expected to peak toward the end of 2026. Forecasts indicate the weather event has a very high likelihood of continuing its influence through February 2027.

The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) also notes that the probability of a very strong El Niño occurring in the fall and winter exceeds 90 percent. The agency predicts that the intensity of the El Niño during the October–December period could surpass a large portion of past powerful events.

Snow Alert in the Western United States

The southward shift of the Pacific jet stream caused by El Niño can lead to the formation of a wetter and more active storm track toward the southern United States.

According to meteorologist Crystal Egger, this can increase snowfall in high‑altitude areas.

Next winter, there is a chance of above‑average snowfall in the high elevations of California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona.

However, experts warn that increased precipitation does not necessarily mean more snow. In regions where temperatures are not low enough, the precipitation may fall as rain or wet snow.

Critical for Mountain Snow Water Resources

The expected snowfall in the western United States is of great importance not only for winter conditions but also for water resources.

Snow that accumulates in the mountains melts slowly during spring and summer, contributing to the region's water reserves. Experts say that because some parts of the West start the water year quite dry, the snowpack that will form this winter could be critical for drought conditions heading into 2027.

NOAA's seasonal outlook also highlights a higher-than-normal chance of precipitation in a significant portion of California, the Southwest, and the southern United States.

Warmer Weather Instead of Snow in the North

The impacts of El Niño could reverse in the north of the United States.

In NOAA's December‑February forecast, the probability of warmer-than-normal air in northern regions stretching from the Pacific Northwest to the Northeast is assessed at over 50 %.

According to experts, higher temperatures could cause precipitation to fall as rain instead of snow, reducing seasonal snow totals in some northern areas.

Milder conditions are expected to dominate the Pacific Northwest, the northern Rocky Mountains, and parts of the Upper Midwest.

"Super El Niño" Why Is It So Important?

El Niño is a natural climate event that occurs when sea-surface temperatures in the tropical Pacific Ocean rise above normal. This warming can alter trade winds and atmospheric circulation, thereby affecting weather in distant parts of the world.

The strength of this year's El Niño is already drawing attention. According to NOAA data, sea-surface temperatures in parts of the eastern equatorial Pacific rose more than 2°C above normal in August.

However, experts stress that a "Super El Niño" cannot predict every weather event in the United States. Seasonal snowfall totals result from the convergence of many separate storms.

Thus, even in regions where a warmer winter is generally expected, a single powerful snowstorm can leave a large amount of snow if conditions are right.

According to experts, the most striking feature of the coming winter will be the likelihood of completely different weather conditions occurring in different regions of the United States.