A strong El Niño is building
Conditions in the Pacific Ocean are shaping the way communities across the globe will experience weather patterns and coastal flooding in the coming months. El Niño is the name given to a global phenomenon wherein weakened surface winds across the Pacific position maximum sea surface temperatures in the eastern and central equatorial Pacific. A strong El Niño has been building for the past 6 months. Sea surface temperature patterns reflect the movement of underlying warm water masses as they traverse the Pacific from west to east along the equator, bombarding the coastal barrier and traveling northward along the west coasts of the Americas. The warm water bulges in the upper ocean raise the height of the ocean surface as they travel, creating elevated risk of coastal flooding for many communities.
At the shore
Along the coast of southern to central California, high tides have been higher than normal due to the increased height of the offshore sea level. Additionally, storm and wave driven increases in water level are more impactful, as demonstrated by the recent impacts of Tropical Storm Rachel.
Water level on the beach (m)
Contributors to Water Level
Highest water each day
Sea level along the coast since 1950
Averaging water levels across stretches of coast sheds light on the magnitude of this El Niño compared to previous ones. For example, the current sea level averaged over California is already higher than at this point in the 1997-1998 El Niño, and may continue to increase as the season progresses. King tides and continued storm activity will breed conditions ripe for coastal hazards such as flooding, coastal cliff instability, and beach erosion.
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