Here’s how an El Niño winter could unfold in the Chicago area – NBC C…

For the first time in four years, forecasters with the NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center say that El Niño will impact winter, but what will that mean for the Chicago area and winter weather?

While an El Niño winter generally causes significant changes in the forecast for the Chicago area, forecasters caution that “no two El Niños are alike.”

“A strong El Niño does not necessarily equate to strong impacts locally, with the odds of related climate anomalies often lower than the chances of El Niño itself,” the NWS reports.

Here’s a look at what to expect:

What is an El Niño?

El Niño refers to a time in which sea-surface temperatures in the Pacific Ocean, particularly near the equator, are unusually warm, according to Dr. Jim Angel, a state climatologist in Illinois. It is the opposite of a La Niña.

“These (increased water temperatures) change the weather patterns over the Pacific Ocean, which in turn changes the weather patterns for much of the rest…