How Will El Niño Impact Washington’s Weather This Year?

So, there’s no guarantee that it’s going to happen, but apparently the percentages are high that we are going to see an El Nino this year affecting Washington state weather. The actual number is 61% that we’ll see El Nino affecting our area this year. if it does happen it’ll be kicking in between May and July, and last at least until the end of the year. 

Since we never have enough percentages in any of these articles, we’ll add another one. We have a 25% chance that it will be a “very strong El Nino”. 

According to seattletimes.com,
‘The last time El Niño came to town in 2023 and 2024, it bumped temperatures 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit above preindustrial norms for the first time. This round has a 33% chance of being at least as strong.’ 

So, what is an El Nino? 

Well, basically it’s unusual warming of surface waters near the equatorial portions of the Pacific Ocean. It impacts precipitation in the United States, and kind of like a rock being dropped in a pond, it ripples across the globe. 

What it means for us in the Pacific Northwest is, because those unusual warm temperatures will mean less snow in the in the mountains, and that means less snowpack. This year we are already looking at our fourth year of drought In Washington state, (But especially in Eastern Washington). This next possible El Nino means we might be seeing a fifth consecutive year of drought next year. 

The possible impact.

I have friends and relatives that are fruit growers in the Wenatchee Valley that will be impacted, probably in a small way, by these drought conditions. But if you’re a fruit grower in the Yakima Valley, this could be a disaster. 

Is there anything we can do, anything we can plan for, that will help these growers in the Yakima Valley?  

I don’t have the answer, but I have to believe that there are people in Washington state that are smart enough to figure this out.