El Niño 2023 Explained: How Will Winter Be Affected?

The Western Hemisphere has seen some wild weather phenomena this year, with recent incidents like Hurricane Otis strengthening from a tropical storm to a category-five hurricane in a matter of hours troubling meteorologists. It's the first time in four years that we're heading into winter with El Niño still clearly in effect, which could bring even more extreme weather as the winter approaches.

El Niño is favored to dominate this winter, meaning there will likely be warmer-than-average temperatures across much of the northern U.S.; by contrast, part of the southern U.S. may see slightly below average temperatures this season. A particularly strong El Niño likely means a warm December, but if it weakens or peaks early, it's increasingly likely parts of the country will be plunged into freezing cold later in the winter.

Typical of El Niño cycles, much of the West, the southern Plains, Southeast, Gulf Coast, and lower mid-Atlantic will see above-average precipitation. The northern Rockies and High Plains, meanwhile, will likely be drier than usual. And just like last winter, moisture-heavy storms could potentially pour on portions of the Southwest U.S., causing flooding and mudslides. 

Related: An Adventurer's Guide to El Niño

Gauging how El Niño will affect the weather in different areas across the country will be crucial to ensure people have access to heating or cooling and shelter from extreme weather. The prospect of an especially icy winter may prompt some utility companies to get ahead of the severe weather and replace older parts of its infrastructure. 

As we continue to deal with weather of two extremes, it's more important than ever to ensure you're heading into this El Niño winter as prepared as possible.