2026-2027 Record-breaking El Nino

[40/70 Benchmark]

32 minutes ago, GaWx said:

 Thanks, Ray. Indeed, that 9/21/26 graph has the only significant pocket of -AAM centered at our latitudes as you noted. However, I assume you realize that these lat. based graphs are quite fluid, and thus it could look quite different at our latitudes within just a few days for all anyone knows. Also, the extremely + tropical latitudes overall have little choice but to drop back at least some soon. I’ll try to follow these daily from this point on.

 Here’s the brand new update for 0Z on 9/22/26: note that the -AAM pocket at our latitudes is still there and still the most significant -AAM area but isn’t as negative. Also, although 52N-61N has dropped, 63N to 90N is significantly more positive vs yesterday with a peak of +2 SDs at 78N vs +1.3 yesterday:

Compare to yesterday’s:

 

 The corresponding global mean for 9/22/26 is as expected per prior days’ CFSv2 progs on its last legs of the extreme level of +4+ although it fwiw keeps a very strong +3+ mean on all but a few days in early Oct:

I get that it's fluid, as is everything.....but it's been a consistent theme.

Here is the graphic from a month ago:

 

The graphics are tools, not substitutes for critical thinking. We have a developing record El Nino abutting a decade of cool ENSO residue throughout the N HEM....this resistance makes sense, and is not the product of some short-term perturbation. Although it is true that forcing and gradients are comparatively weak in the summer relative to the cold season, there is no disputing that summer 2026 has diverged from the intense El Niño composite, which validates the disconnect between the tropical and mid latitude AAM data. The theme of this summer has been ridging and much above normal temperatures throughout much of the CONUS.

 

This is in stark contrast to the summer pattern preceding other intense El Niño events, which featured a prevailing trough and much cooler temps across much of the CONUS.

 

 

[GaWx]

18 minutes ago, 40/70 Benchmark said:

I get that it's fluid, as is everything.....but it's been a consistent theme.

Here is the graphic from a month ago:

 

The graphics are tools, not substitutes for critical thinking. We have a developing record El Nino abutting a decade of cool ENSO residue throughout the N HEM....this resistance makes sense, and is not the product of some short-term perturbation. Although it is true that forcing and gradients are comparatively weak in the summer relative to the cold season, there is no disputing that summer 2026 has diverged from the intense El Niño composite, which validates the disconnect between the tropical and mid latitude AAM data. The theme of this summer has been ridging and much above normal temperatures throughout much of the CONUS.

 

This is in stark contrast to the summer pattern preceding other intense El Niño events, which featured a prevailing trough and much cooler temps across much of the CONUS.

 

 

Excellent post as a whopping ~90% of the daily graphs since July 1st have averaged a -AAM in the 30N to 40N corridor! The 40N to 50N corridor also has a very high % that are -AAM although not quite as high as the 90% especially due to the last few weeks.

[bluewave]

1 hour ago, George001 said:

This El Niño is absolutely a beast, on track to be the strongest on record. However, I am extremely skeptical of El Niño conditions lingering into next June. If it were a weak El Niño I would be more inclined to buy the 2nd year Nino idea, but I would think it’s much more likely it collapses into La Niña rather than going from a super to moderate-strong El Niño. 

It’s not so far-fetched when you consider a much weaker event in 1982-1983 lingered into June and July 1983.

[GaWx]

1 hour ago, George001 said:

This El Niño is absolutely a beast, on track to be the strongest on record. However, I am extremely skeptical of El Niño conditions lingering into next June. If it were a weak El Niño I would be more inclined to buy the 2nd year Nino idea, but I would think it’s much more likely it collapses into La Niña rather than going from a super to moderate-strong El Niño. 

 Whereas historical stats certainly agree that La Niña is quite possible in ‘27-‘28, that same history says that there’s actually a decent chance for either neutral or, believe it or not, even El Niño in ‘27-‘28. Here’s why:

 El Niños peaking at +1.4+ occurred in the following 19 fall/winters and were followed by these:

+1.4+ Nino: subsequent fall/winter ENSO

1877-8: cold neutral

1888-9: strong Nina

1896-7: cold neutral

1899-1900: warm neutral

1902-3: moderate Nina

1905-6: weak Nina

1918-9: weak Nino

1930-1: cold neutral

1940-1: moderate Nino

1957-8: weak Nino

1965-6: cold neutral

1972-3: strong Nina

1982-3: moderate Nina

1986-7: moderate Nino

1991-2: weak Nino

1997-8: strong Nina

2009-10: strong Nina

2015-6: moderate Nina

2023-4: moderate Nina

—————————

So, these 19 +1.4+ El Niños were followed by these:

Strong Niña: 4 (21%)

Moderate Nina: 4 (21%)

Weak Nina: 1 (5%)

Cold neutral: 4 (21%)

Warm neutral: 1 (5%)

Weak Nino: 3 (16%)

Moderate Nino: 2 (11%)

—————————

Tally:

47% Nina

26% neutral

26% El Nino

———————

 

Conclusion:

La Nina is the best single possibility for ‘27-‘28 due to its large plurality (being at 47%), but neutral or even El Niño are obviously each quite possible as the two of them, combined, actually occurred about as often as La Nina after these strongest 19 El Niños on record.

 

https://www.webberweather.com/ensemble-oceanic-nino-index.html

https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/analysis_monitoring/enso/roni/