Forecasters Project Strong El Niño Event

Why it matters locally: While the direct impacts of El Niño on Rhode Island's weather patterns are less pronounced than in other regions of the country, it can still influence winter temperatures and precipitation, potentially affecting local infrastructure and resource management.

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Forecasters project a developing El Niño event will register among the most intense recorded since 1950. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) began tracking these phenomena in 1950. El Niño involves a warming of the surface waters in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean. This warming influences atmospheric circulation, impacting weather patterns across various regions worldwide.