Waters rise in Johnson Creek in Portland, Ore., on March 12, 2026. El Niño is expected to bring a warmer, wetter winter to Oregon, increasing the risk of floods and landslides.
Eli Imadali / OPB
The weather pattern known as El Niño is still gathering strength, and climatologists say it could be one of the strongest on record.
The phenomenon is caused by rising surface temperatures in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean. The weather pattern is expected to bring big impacts to Oregon come winter. State Climatologist Larry O’Neill says that’s likely to mean warmer and wetter weather. He joins us to tell us more.
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