NOAA El Niño advisory threatens Minnesota winter sports

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) issued an El Niño advisory indicating a warmer‑than‑usual Pacific Ocean, with temperatures about 2 °C above normal. The forecast suggests a shift in the jet stream that could bring milder, drier conditions to the northern United States this winter, reducing snowfall in Minnesota.

Reduced snow would affect the state’s winter‑recreation industry and athletes who rely on consistent snow cover. NOAA notes that past El Niño winters – such as 2023‑24, 2015‑16, 2009‑10 and 1997‑98 – produced similar patterns of limited snow in the region.