The strong El Niño is expected to dominate the climate of the Southeast (and the United States as a whole) over the next few months, although it has been slow to start this fall and winter. That means a strong subtropical jet across southern parts of GA and AL and northern FL, bringing rainy weather to that part of the region. Daytime temperatures are expected to be colder than normal due to cloud cover blocking sunlight, but overnight temperatures are likely to be somewhat warmer because clouds at night help trap the earth’s energy near the surface of the earth. One consequence of wetter and cooler weather over the winter is an increase in soil moisture due to more water being put into the system and less removed due to solar energy. That means that we are likely to go into the next growing season well-supplied with moist soil, which gives us a cushion against any dry spells that may occur early in the growing season.
Of course, every El Niño is unique so this does not always happen, but from a probability standpoint it is the most likely outcome. Wet soils do have their own problems in spring because they have the potential to delay spring field work and planting and the wet soil will take longer to warm up to optimal temperatures, so farmers will need to keep that in mind when they plan for next growing season. You can read more in Specialty Crop Grower at El Niño Winter Usually Equals Minimal Chance for Drought Following Season . Warmer than normal weather is also likely across a lot of the eastern US for the next couple of weeks, in part due to the El Niño, and so I don’t expect to see a white Christmas this year when I go up to Michigan to visit my mom.
