Record-strength El Niño expected to intensify further, threatening major California and Southwest winter impacts

October 12, 2026 - Daniel Swain - A quick recap of the forecast vs real-world evolution of El Niño 2026 thus far An El Niño event officially developed in the tropical Pacific Ocean earlier this summer, and it has strengthened almost continually since that point. In fact, as of mid-October, the 2026…

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