Chance of a ‘super’ El Niño grows – and it’s just around the corner

(NEXSTAR) – El Niño is waiting in the wings. An updated forecast released by the National Weather Service on Thursday gave the climate phenomenon an 82% chance of taking over at some point between May and July. 

As the year goes on, the odds of an El Niño grow even higher. National forecasters say there’s a 96% chance of El Niño lasting through the winter, the season when it typically reaches peak strength.

As we wait for El Niño to officially begin, anticipation is building that we may see what’s called a “super El Niño.” 

Very strong “super” El Niños are rare. There have only been four since 1950, with the last one occurring from 2015 to 2016.

The chance of seeing a super El Niño in 2026 has grown since last month’s climate update. There’s about a 35% probability the El Niño late this year will be........

© The Hill