California Braces for Potentially Historic Wet Winter as El Niño Strengthens
California is facing an increasing likelihood of a significantly wet winter, with scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reporting over a 90% chance of a strong El Niño developing between October and December. There is also a 75% probability that this El Niño could be the strongest on record since 1950, an increase from 69% last month. Meteorologist Michelle L’Heureux of the National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center has advised California residents to prepare for above-average rainfall and stormier conditions. Supercomputer models from leading meteorological organizations, including the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), indicate a 70% chance that rainfall totals from January to March across the entire California coast, including the Bay Area, will be among the wettest 20% of historical averages. This widespread expectation of heavy rainfall extends beyond Southern California, which typically sees higher odds of a wet winter during El ...
