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How to stay safe during El Niño as sharks migrate closer to California coast
Shark expert Chris Lowe, a professor of marine biology and director of the Shark Lab at Cal State, Long Beach, explains how to stay safe as sharks migrate toward the California coast during El Niño.
OAKLAND, Calif. - A newly released monthly report from NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center shows that El Niño is not only here, but it’s expected to continue strengthening through the fall and winter months.
Scientists say there’s growing confidence this could become one of the stronger El Niño events in recent decades, although exactly how it impacts California remains uncertain.
What is El Niño?
So…what exactly is El Niño?
Think of the Pacific Ocean as Earth’s thermostat.
During an El Niño, water along the equator in the eastern and central Pacific becomes warmer than normal. That extra heat changes the position of the jet stream, influencing storm tracks across North America.
What does that mean for the Bay Area?
For those in Northern California, El Niño tilts the odds toward a wetter-than-average winter.
That doesn’t mean it will rain every day or that every storm will be stronger, but historically, El Niño years often bring more Pacific storms to California.
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What El Niño means for a 'shark summer' on the California coast
Warmer ocean waters might prompt a more shark-filled summer along the California coast. Chris Lowe is a professor of marine biology and director of the Shark Lab at Cal State, Long Beach,
That can mean:
- More opportunities for beneficial rainfall.
- A healthier Sierra snowpack that supplies much of California’s water.
- An increased risk of flooding during stronger atmospheric river events.
- Higher surf, beach erosion, and occasional coastal flooding during powerful winter storms and king tides.
But there’s an important catch.
Even a strong El Niño is not a guarantee of a wet winter in the Bay Area. Every El Niño has its own personality.
Some produce soaking storms across Northern California, while others focus the heaviest rain farther south. Local weather will still depend on individual storm systems as they develop over the coming months.
The bottom line is that the latest NOAA outlook suggests the Pacific Ocean is continuing to warm, increasing the likelihood of a significant El Niño through the upcoming winter season.
It’s still too early to predict exactly how much rain the Bay Area will receive, but this is another signal that Californians should be paying close attention as we head toward our rainy season.
The Source: NOAA Climate Prediction Center