El Niño Expected to Bring a Wetter October to the South and East

The rainy weather pattern that has socked in the southern U.S. is set to continue through the month, with the long-range forecast calling for above-average precipitation for the Gulf Coast, the Southeast, and beyond. What about the rest of the October outlook? Read on for all that you need to know as the new month kicks off.

Strengthening El Niño Will Drive Weather in October

A rapidly intensifying El Niño climate phase will drive much of the weather around the country this month. The most pronounced impacts will be the expectation of a soggy stretch of weeks for the Gulf Coast, the Southeast, the mid-Atlantic, the Ohio Valley, and the Northeast. Meanwhile, the Pacific Northwest and the Upper Midwest will see conditions that trend drier than normal throughout October.

Temperatures in the southern half of the country will hover just slightly below average, largely due to the anticipation of more cloud cover along with the rain. Conversely, the mercury is expected to inch up higher than normal across the Rockies and the northern Plains.

The month got started on a toasty note across the mid-Atlantic, the Northeast, and parts of the South, with temperatures jumping to about 10 to 15 degrees above the historical average. The heat will peak on Friday in places such as New York City and Philadelphia as temperatures climb into the mid-80s. More seasonable temperatures will make their way back to this corner of the country by the start of the weekend.

The biggest weather story in the short term will be the persistent waves of tropical moisture that continue to impact the central U.S. This line of moisture will push to the east as the weekend progresses, translating to a soggy few days for the Southeast and the Gulf Coast.