New York City could see a warmer winter with wetter conditions along the coast as a strengthening El Niño climate pattern develops in the Pacific Ocean, as reported by Patch.com.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said El Niño strengthened in August, and has raised the likelihood of the event reaching historic strength to 75 percent, meaning its three-month strength index from October to December could surpass previous El Niño events recorded since 1950.
“The science leaves no room for doubt: the planet is in uncharted waters and those waters are heating up,” said U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres.
El Niño, known as a periodic warming of the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean, can alter atmospheric circulation and influence weather patterns around the world. Its effects are generally strongest in the United States during winter.
For New York City and the surrounding region, NOAA's 2026-27 winter outlook favors warmer-than-normal temperatures. Coastal areas are also increasingly expected to experience wetter conditions, while wetter weather could extend along much of the East Coast.
The forecast could be significant for Brooklyn residents, particularly those living in coastal areas that can be vulnerable to flooding and other impacts from heavy precipitation. However, NOAA cautioned that seasonal outlooks do not predict individual snowstorms, floods, cold snaps or other specific weather events months in advance.
The Pacific Ocean continued to warm in August. In the region NOAA uses to monitor El Niño, water temperatures reached about 3.2 degrees Fahrenheit above normal, up from 2.5 degrees above normal in July. Farther east, temperatures were about 6 degrees above normal.
The World Meteorological Organization expects El Niño to intensify and peak near the end of 2026, with related weather effects potentially continuing into 2027.
New Yorkers can monitor updated NOAA forecasts as winter approaches for more specific information about temperatures, precipitation and potential weather hazards.
