OpenSnow meteorologist Alan Smith talks about the predicted Super El Niño and its implications for Utah's 2026-2027 ski season. He says El Niño refers to warmer-than-average sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific.
In a Super El Niño mean anomalies of 2 degrees Celsius (35.6 Fahrenheit) or more for an extended period of time and current models suggest this could be the strongest cycle on record. Historically, he says strong El Niño phases tend to strengthen the subtropical jet stream, which favors storms across the southern U.S. which often improve snowfall odds for California, the Southwest, and Utah.
