Here's what El Nino means for Canada's winter
CTV
After seven years of La Nina conditions, the surface temperature of the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean has warmed again, signalling the switch to a global El Nino event. Here is what Canadians can expect this El Nino winter.
El Niño has entered the chat.
After seven years characterized by La Niña conditions, the World Meteorological Organization announced in July that the surface temperature of the tropical Pacific Ocean has warmed again, signalling the switch to a global El Niño event.
Although an El Niño event can last up to 12 months, its effects in Canada are more pronounced in the winter, according to Jen Smith, national warning preparedness meteorologist with the Meteorological Service of Canada.
"Most of the impacts of El Niño occur during the winter time because that’s when the jet streams are more active, but it may linger into spring," Smith told CTVNews.ca in a phone interview on Monday.
With autumn well underway and winter on the horizon, here is what Canadians can generally expect in the coming months.
In the parts of the country that feel the effects of El Niño the most — western and central Canada as well as the Great Lakes — temperatures over the winter and possibly into spring will be warmer than average.
How many degrees winter temperatures will rise is hard to predict, Smith said. Since El Niño is a global phenomenon measured in averages, its small-scale effects can be unpredictable.
