Super El Niño to bring Georgia a wet winter, with snow and ice expected – Atlanta News First

Super El Niño to bring Georgia a wet winter, with snow and ice expected  Atlanta News First

A Super El Niño this fall and winter will have a major impact the weather all over the country, and for us here in Georgia it is likely to lead to a very active winter with severe weather, snow and ice events. ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) — The Pacific Ocean is warming up in a big way, and it’s about to shake up weather across the entire country, especially here in north Georgia. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is forecasting the strongest El Niño ever on record for the 2026-27 winter season, giving us high confidence that this winter will be a memorable one. El Niño occurs when warm water in the Pacific Ocean shifts the jet stream — essentially the river of air that steers weather systems across North America.

Meanwhile, a “super” El Niño happens when the water warms more than 4 degrees Fahrenheit, which amplifies effects dramatically. We are already in a strong El Niño as we head into fall, and scientists predict it will intensify into the strongest on record by this winter. The last three super El Niño winters occurred in 2015-2016, 1982-83 and 1997-98. By analyzing temperature and precipitation patterns from those years, we can get a pretty good preview of what to expect this year. Fall (September-November): The entire country