El Niño could bring warmer, wetter winter to the area
What do you think?
A powerful El Niño is expected to shape the upcoming winter, bringing increased chances of warmer temperatures and potentially wetter conditions across the Four States.
NOAA released its winter outlook Thursday, projecting above-average temperatures across much of Missouri, southeast Kansas, and the rest of the Midwest.
We sit near the northern edge of an area where above-average precipitation is favored, meaning the region could see an increase in rain or winter storms.
El Niño is a weather pattern fueled by unusually warm Pacific Ocean waters that can shift the jet stream south and bring more storms across the southern US.
The wetter pattern could also help ease drought conditions in parts of the four-states.
However, a warmer-than-average winter does not eliminate the threat of dangerous cold, snow, or ice.
NOAA emphasizes that seasonal outlooks cannot reliably predict snowfall totals months in advance.
