It looks like El Nino is on the way for Canada which could mean a less active hurricane season on the east coast.
Meteorologist Tyler Hamilton tells us all signs point to the weather phenomenon taking shape in the Pacific Ocean with sea surface temperatures warmer than normal.
“Normally, there’s strong trade winds that are pushing the warm water towards Asia,” says Hamilton. “Over the next several months, those winds are forecast to weaken.”
He says that will cause warm water to spread to South America, shifting thunderstorms, influencing the jet stream and normal flow of the atmosphere.
It means, a possible “good news” scenario for Atlantic Canada.
“We can really track El Nino to creating some hostile conditions for the development for hurricanes,” says Hamilton. “So, I’m curious to see how that develops over the coming months to see if maybe we’re in for a quieter than normal Atlantic hurricane season for the summer ahead. ”
He says it’s also possible for higher temperatures but that remains to be seen.
Looking ahead, El Nino could also influence weather patterns into the fall and winter as well.
“It will actually play more of a role in our winter forecast because El Nino’s are famous for providing milder than normal winters across Canada, especially central and eastern regions,” says Hamilton.
He adds that could add some drawbacks for next year’s ski season after having been in a more La Nina weather state for the past six, seven years.
“Typically, [with El Nino] you can sometimes get a bit more milder air pushing in and more rain at lower elevations,” explains Hamilton.
The last time we saw a strong El Nino was in 2023/24, however Hamilton says it is possible for it to develop without affecting the jet stream.
“That will be another facet of how this develops to see if it actually is impacting the atmosphere a lot and then ultimately shifting weather patterns over Canada for the months and seasons ahead.”
