NOAA: El Niño May Bring Above Normal Winter Temps

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – There's a considerable chance El Niño will develop in the coming months, possibly bringing warmer temperatures to our notoriously chilly winter season.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says there's a 60-65 percent chance El Niño will develop over the Northern Hemisphere during the winter season. That means it could affect temperatures in Minnesota from November through possibly March.

Strong El Niño years can bring some of the warmest winter temperatures, but El Niño doesn't affect rain or snowfall totals.

If El Niño does develop this year, it'll likely be weak, forecasters say. So far, it's been slow to develop, and that brings uncertainty as to how this winter will shape up.

Still, if the El Niño is weak, temperatures will likely hover around normal.

Below is a graph showing what temperatures are like, compared to average, during a typical winter El Niño stretch.