The upcoming fall and winter outlooks are being impacted by a developing El Niño pattern.

Ed Shimon with the National Weather Service in Lincoln says current fall projections are being impacted by a rapid development of an El Niño pattern in the Pacific, which is expected to play a major role in shaping conditions later in the year.

The last El Niño occurred during the 2023–24 winter season, which went into the books as the warmest winter on record for the Midwest. Average temperatures ranged anywhere from four to eight degrees above normal.