What is El Niño and How Can It Affect Your Travel Plans?

El Niño is a climate event that involves the abnormal warming of water in the eastern Pacific Ocean. These events have varying levels of strength, but when El Niño occurs, it affects weather and climate patterns all around the globe. An El Niño event can last anywhere from nine months to a year, and according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the current El Niño event happening in 2024 is anticipated to last until sometime between April and June 2024.

According to the NOAA, an El Niño event causes the Pacific Jet Stream to move south and spread east across the United States, which leads to the southern parts of the country experiencing wetter than average conditions and the northern parts experiencing warmer and drier than average conditions throughout the winter months.

But the effects of El Niño span further than just the U.S. The Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory says potential impacts of El Niño events include increased rainfall and destructive flooding throughout parts of South America, such as Peru. Alternatively, the climate event can create drought conditions which can lead to wildfires in Australia as well.

What does El Niño mean for travelers and tourism? Unfortunately, there is no definitive way to predict when an El Niño event is going to occur, but once it has begun, scientists are able to more accurately predict aspects such as the event’s severity and estimated timeline. Since an El Niño event spans several months, predictions can be made about how it will impact weather and climate patterns during its duration. This allows travelers to have a better idea of what to expect should they consider traveling to a destination affected by El Niño.

When planning travel, it is recommended to research your destination prior to booking any accommodations, activities, transportation, etc. This is especially important if you are considering a destination that can be affected by El Niño events. If you are planning a vacation to the Gulf Coast of the U.S. during an El Niño event, you could run into more precipitation, potentially causing travel delays for airlines, for example. The NOAA offers a helpful resource section that includes links to global resources and regional impacts of El Nino as you're planning your trip.