A forecasted El Niño later this year could have important implications for South Carolina, especially beyond hurricane season.
While it can work against Atlantic storms, it also tends to favor a stormier and wetter winter across the Southeast.
Meteorologist Leslie Hudson explains what a "super" El Nino year is, and what that could mean for South Carolina.
A study published in December 2025 found that super El Niño events can trigger abrupt shifts in temperature and rainfall patterns — and that those impacts may become even more pronounced in a warming climate.
The meridional width + strength of the westerly wind bursts so far this year in the Tropical West Pacific is largely unmatched in the observed record & much more akin to the 1982 & 1972 Super El Ninos than 1997. pic.twitter.com/pgRWbUMYQg
— Eric Webb (@webberweather) April 8, 2026