"El Niño may increase the likelihood of certain climate outcomes, but it does not guarantee them," according to Weather.gov. Residents in northern Alaska, the West, the southern Plains, Southeast, Gulf Coast, and lower mid-Atlantic should prepare for snow.
"These outlooks provide critical guidance on the upcoming season for many industries and sectors of our economy, from energy producers to commodities markets to agricultural interests to tourism," said NOAA head scientist Dr. Sarah Kapnick.
We're lucky to have scientists like the Climate Prediction Center making critical operational seasonal climate predictions to build a Weather and Climate-Ready Nation with a strengthening El Nino and more climate extremes in a record-breaking year "Kapp told NOAA.
Heavy precipitation in late October may improve the central U.S. drought. El Nino's increased precipitation might relieve southern U.S. drought in the coming months."
The 2023-2024 U.S. Winter Outlook precipitation map predicts "wetter-than-average conditions" in the South, Southeast, and parts of California and Nevada, but drier-than-average weather in the north.
Another NOAA chart predicts warmer-than-average weather are most likely in the northern tier of the continental US.