Written by: Rebecca Straits (rjs006@marietta.edu)
Each year it feels like the summers are getting longer and the winters are getting harsher — and the cause is a little deeper than climate change.
El Niño is a naturally occurring climate event that happens in the Pacific Ocean where cold-nutrient rich water is unable to surface due to weak winds. The warm ocean water heats up the air around it and can cause catastrophic storms, droughts, and a decrease in fish and other aquatic life causing food insecurity, and negatively impacts the global economy.
El Niño’s (and La Nina’s, the opposite climate event, where strong winds bring cold water to the ocean’s surface) happen every two to seven years and last for about a nine-month period or a full year as stated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Understanding El Niño, 2026). El Niño’s typically occur during the fall and winter months when the Earth and it’s Oceans are meant to cool down.
But if this is a naturally occurring event, why does it matter?
The problem is when this weather event becomes a Super El Niño; this is when the Ocean heats up even more than a typical El Niño. This warming of the Pacific can lead to the ice caps melting, coastal flooding, more hurricanes and tsunamis, droughts, crop failure, forest fires, and marine and terrestrial animal loss at a devastating rate.
For Ohio, an El Niño means a mild and dry winter and a harsh summer season.
Though El Niño and La Nina are naturally occurring weather events, their intensity is affected by their environments, so a hotter Earth means a stronger El Niño.
Marietta is already feeling the effects with how warm it has been going into October and how it is prospected to continue to be warm into the winter months.
According to reports from The Weather Channel, this year’s El Niño has a high probability of being historic compared to previous records (Guthrie et al., 2026).
So, what can you do with this information?
First, don’t panic. The weather is constantly changing, and not all El Niño’s are the same. Secondly, be knowledgeable on the topic of El Niño and La Nina climate events. Thirdly, Inform others: friends, family, and your community.
You can’t change the weather, but you can prepare for it just like how you would pack an umbrella for a rainy forecast.
For past articles on Marietta’s fall weather check out: Why was fall so warm this year. To stay updated on articles like this one, follow Marietta College student media on Instagram at marettacollegestudentmedia.
References
Guthrie, M., Erdman, J., Belles, J., & Mohammed, F. (2026, October 7). What a historic super El Niño ahead means for your fall and winter. The Weather Channel. https://weather.com/2026/10/08/news/weather/super-el-nino-update-winter
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. (2026, June 10). Understanding El Niño & ENSO. https://www.noaa.gov/understanding-el-nino
