What does El Niño mean for the Coachella Valley?
On June 8., the Climate Prediction Center, a branch of the National Weather Service, called an El Niño Advisory.
According to Spencer Blum's original report, the arrival of El Niño is determined, "...when waters in the equatorial Pacific Ocean are at least 0.5°C (0.9°F) warmer than average, we meet the criteria for El Niño."
To read Spencer Blum's comprehensive breakdown of El Niño, click here.
El Niño's effect on the environment varies across the region. For Southern California, the arrival of El Niño hints at a wetter 2023-2024 winter season.
However, Mark Moede, a lead meteorologist with the National Weather Service, says that there are additional factors the determine a wetter winter.
“We have to take a step back from there look at other factors that come into play when we're talking about seasonal forecasting," said Moede.
One of the major factors that will contribute to the forecast is the placement of the jet stream. The further south the jet stream is, the higher chance the valley could see more rain this winter.
"There's other parts in the global atmosphere that will affect the jet stream and how it tracks and brings storms into the West Coast," Moede said.
Stay with the First Alert Weather Team on-air and online for updates on how this phenomenon could bring weather changes to the valley in the coming months.
