Here’s How An El Niño Winter Could Shake Out In Georgia

GEORGIA — An El Niño climate pattern will mean Georgians will either have a warmer-than-normal or a wetter-than-normal winter, the National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center said in an updated U.S. Winter Outlook released Thursday.

The United States hasn’t had an El Niño winter in four years.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration scientists expect wetter-than-average conditions to prevail in Alaska, portions of the West, the Southern Plains, Southeast, Gulf Coast and lower mid-Atlantic from December through February. At the same time, it’ll be drier than average across the country’s northern tier, especially in the northern Rockies and High Plains and near the Great Lakes.

“An enhanced southern jet stream and associated moisture often present during strong El Niño events supports high odds for above-average precipitation for the Gulf Coast, lower Mississippi Valley and Southeast states this winter,” Jon Gottschalck, chief of the Operational Prediction Branch of the Climate Prediction Center, said in a news release.

A third of the country, including parts of the southern and central U.S., Hawaii and Puerto Rico, is experiencing drought conditions, according to Tuesday’s updated U.S. Drought Monitor.

There is not a large presence of drought conditions in middle Georgia, stretching to the southeastern portion of the state, though north Georgia was significantly abnormally dry. The northernmost part of the state has a severe drought. Portions of the southwest Georgia coast are experiencing a moderate to abnormal drought.

Heavy precipitation later this month is likely to ease drought conditions in the central U.S., Brad Pugh, a drought expert with Climate Prediction Center said in the news release. The heavy precipitation associated with a strong El Niño pattern is expected to provide drought relief to the southern U.S. during the next few months, Pugh said.