El Niño Expected to Bring Wetter Winter to New Jersey, Raising Concerns for Coastal Storms
El Niño, a natural climate pattern characterized by warmer-than-average sea surface temperatures in the tropical Pacific Ocean, is strengthening and is projected to continue into early 2027. This event is considered exceptionally strong, with sea surface temperature anomalies in the tropical Pacific reaching 2.5°C, classifying it as a 'Super El Niño.' According to John Krasting, New Jersey State Climatologist and an extension specialist at Rutgers’ School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, this year's El Niño could be the strongest since 1950. The warming influences the jet stream and global weather patterns, including those in New Jersey. Historically, El Niño events tend to enhance the subtropical jet stream, which transports warm, humid air northward, potentially leading to more coastal storms, increased rainfall, and coastal flooding in the state.