It Still Feels Like Summer in Parts of the US. Blame El Niño
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The United States is experiencing an extended period of unseasonable warmth driven by El Niño and climate change. Forecasters expect temperatures to remain above average through late September, following a summer that saw record-breaking heat across the country.
Why it matters
The persistence of extreme heat patterns highlights the ongoing impact of climate change and natural weather phenomena on seasonal norms.
The culprits? El Niño and climate change, which contributed to this summer’s record-breaking warmth and are delaying pumpkin spice season.
Forecasters with the US Climate Prediction Center continue to see increased odds for hotter-than-normal temperatures across much of the country through at least the end of September.
Computer models show a pronounced ridge pattern, an atmospheric arrangement that can lock in sustained spells of warmer-than-normal conditions. This setup will feature widespread unseasonable warmth throughout the country, a pattern consistent with a strong El Niño. The greatest odds of above-normal temperatures exist around the Upper Midwest and the Deep South. Some models suggest temperatures could run 5 to 10 degrees Fahrenheit above normal for the latter half of September.
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