Super El Niño declared as forecasters predict big changes to U.S. winter weather

THE TAKEAWAY: NOAA announced that the 2026 El Niño has reached Super El Niño status.Water temperatures in the Niño 3.4 region of the equatorial Pacific have climbed to 2.0°C above average for three consecutive months.A Super El Niño will have a major impact on the 2026–2027 winter, causing more storms in the southern tier of the U.S. and above-average temperatures in the northern tier.NOAA's Climate Prediction Center (CPC) announced Thursday that the 2026 El Niño has officially reached