The official designation of a Super El Niño event is hours away: What that means and why it matters
Forecasters have said for months that El Niño would reach "super" status, the point when water temperatures are at least 2 degrees Celsius above average in the equatorial Pacific for at least three consecutive months.
FILE: The Atmospheric Bully: Super El Niño flexes its muscles — what happens next?
A brewing Super El Niño is flexing its influence across the atmosphere, shaping weather patterns from the Southwest to the Atlantic. FOX Weather Meteorologists Ian Oliver and Haley Meier break down how the powerful climate pattern will continue to affect the U.S. this fall and winter.
In less than 24 hours, the Climate Prediction Center is expected to officially declare Super El Niño, which is expected to remain in effect through the upcoming winter.
Since late spring, El Niño has been in effect, strengthening through the summer and early fall.
Answering your questions about Super El Niño around the world
FOX Weather Meteorologist Steve Bender breaks down El Niño and the impacts it can have around the world and on the economy.
Forecasters have said for months that El Niño would reach "super" status, the point when water temperatures are at least 2 degrees Celsius above average in the equatorial Pacific for at least three consecutive months.
They predicted it would happen in late fall, maintaining status until spring 2027, when La Niña conditions are forecast to take over.
Evaluations completed by NOAA's Climate Prediction Center (CPC) found that water temperatures during the three-month period from July, August and September were not high enough to meet the "Very Strong" or "Super" El Niño category.
However, on Thursday morning, the CPC is expected to say that the August, September and October period did reach the 2 degrees Celsius threshold needed for Super El Niño.
Despite not being an official Super El Niño yet, the climate pattern has proved to have significant impacts, especially when it comes to hurricane season in the Pacific and the Atlantic.
El Niño's impacts on 2026 hurricane season
The Eastern Pacific has reported one of the busiest seasons on record, with only four names left on the list for the season.
The Atlantic, on the other hand, has had a record under-active season, with only 1 hurricane and 10 named storms for the season so far.
NASA SATELLITES REVEAL STRIKING OCEAN COLOR CHANGE AS SUPER EL NIÑO STRENGTHENS
In the Atlantic, wind shear limited storm development, while in the Pacific, warm ocean temperatures and limited wind shear helped fuel tropical activity, all thanks to El Niño.
El Niño's impacts won't stop there, as the climate pattern is also forecast to have significant impacts on the winter ahead.
What Super El Niño is likely to mean for winter
NOAA's Winter Outlook for the 2026-27 season said more storms are expected from Southern California across the entire Southern Tier to Florida.
During a Super El Niño, the Pacific jet stream tends to become more extended and active, acting as a conveyor belt that directs storms farther across the southern tier of the U.S.
SUPER EL NIÑO FUELED WINTER COULD UNLEASH MORE STORMS, DRIVING MORE ACTIVE PATTERN INTO THE SOUTH
Southeast winter forecast (FOX Weather / FOX Weather)
This increased likelihood of storms is expected to keep temperatures near normal across the Southeast through the winter.
Super El Niños of the past vs today
In past years, we have seen Super El Niño, but forecasters aren't sure how this Super El Niño will look compared to others in history just yet.
Winter 1997-98 and 2015-26 were both Super El Niño years.
SUPER EL NIÑO THEN AND NOW: HOW THIS YEAR'S STRENGTHENING EVENT COMPARES TO HISTORIC EXTREMES
Ron Williams (L) is passed by a Jeep as he walks home from the grocery store in Denver, CO 25 October. (DOUG COLLIER / AFP / Getty Images)
Clues into the forecast say it resembles 1997-98's winter the most.
In 1997-98, Super El Niño brought a major October snowstorm from Colorado to Maine.
Then, just after the start of the New Year 1998, flooding rains and a major ice storm swept through the Midwest, Southeast and Northeast.
As forecasters continue to monitor the strengthening conditions and its impacts, it's too early to know exactly how this year's expected Super El Niño will shape history.