Oceanographers and meteorologists are tracking significant water temperature anomalies in the equatorial Pacific Ocean, with the latest data suggesting conditions are already well into El Niño territory. Water temperatures in the equatorial Pacific have been warming through late spring and summer and are expected to continue warming throughout the fall and winter seasons.
Local Impacts
In the Washington, D.C. region, the 1877 El Niño event coincided with The Great Flood of 1877, which caused major damage to infrastructure and bridges. The North American winter of 1877–78 was widely referred to as ‘The Year Without a Winter.’ The average recorded temperature for that winter was 38.7°F, ranking in the warmest third of winters in the city’s 154-year observational record.
Forecast models suggest that the upcoming winter is shaping up to be a boom-or-bust scenario for snowfall in the Mid-Atlantic—either producing significant accumulation from one or two major systems or yielding very little snow for the entire season. A developing super El Niño is expected to significantly shape weather patterns across the Mid-Atlantic through the fall and winter seasons.
Original reporting: Arlington County | FOX 5 DC — read the source article.
