CHARLOTTE, N.C. — El Niño, a climate pattern with huge impacts on weather patterns worldwide, may be winding down.
The El Niño pattern, which has been in place since last year, may have peaked and could give way to the opposite pattern, La Niña, by the summer months, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Climate Prediction Center.
On Thursday, NOAA issued a La Niña watch citing a 55% chance those conditions could arrive between June and August. In response to the update from NOAA, Google Trends data showed an increased number of users searching for information about the "super El Niño."
El Niño could be gone by June, according to NOAA, who put the chances near 80% that neutral conditions could return in that time frame.
El Niño and La Niña are opposites with a transitional natural phase in between the swinging pattern.
During an active El Niño pattern, the temperature of surface waters in the tropical Pacific Ocean becomes warmer than average. During January, those conditions continued across the Pacific waters, according to NOAA. However, a greater examination of both ocean and atmospheric conditions reflected a weakening El Niño pattern, according to NOAA.
There is a historical tendency for La Niña to follow strong El Niño events, and 2024 is expected to be no exception.
El Niño usually happens every two-to-seven years and can last for several months or as long as years. Its prevalence in 2023 and into the start of 2024 has been observed in the current weather pattern.
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Recent snowless winters in Charlotte can be directly attributed to three years of the La Niña pattern, according to WCNC Charlotte Chief Meteorologist Brad Panovich who noted such conditions in his annual winter weather outlook in November. El Niño brings wetter and warmer weather to Carolina winters.
Despite the disappointment of Carolina snow lovers, El Niño conditions have helped resolve a months-long drought in the Carolinas.
For the 2023 hurricane season, El Niño likely limited hurricane development in the Atlantic Ocean basin. The opposite could be true during a strong La Niña pattern, which promotes hurricane development in the Atlantic.
For now, meteorologists will continue to track ocean and atmospheric conditions to track the ongoing status of El Niño.
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