Some will be blessed, some will get skunked this El Niño season. Photo courtesy Victor Espigares/Flickr
Everybody’s favorite weather system, the notorious El Niño, is on track to make its dreaded landfall on Western North America this year, and it could be a big one according to weather analysts. The weather pattern comes along every two to seven years and originates from a directional wind change in the Pacific. Reversed winds push warm water eastward toward North America’s Pacific coast, sending stormy instability toward our shoreline. It’s hard to determine exactly how strong a 2014-2015 El Niño will be, but according to a Slate report, an enormous pocket of warm water is already making its way eastward—reason enough to start thinking that the weather pattern could already be in full effect.
So what does it mean? Tired SNL jokes aside, El Niño is a major player in world weather that causes severe droughts, major flooding, crazy snowstorms, and storm-sized swells that affect pretty much everything we do in the action-sports world. Skiers and snowboarders in traditionally dry areas could have the best seasons of their lives, while normal powder zones could experience massive dry spells. Fishermen off the Pacific coast could land record years, while farmers a few hundred miles inland might be taking out a loan or two to survive a terrible growing season.
The effects of El Niño are many, but GrindTV wanted to take a look at how it’ll shape up for some of our favorite sports. Who will win, who will lose, and who is in for a wild ride?
Surfing
Winners: California
Losers: Hawaii, Pacific Northwest
An El Niño year could mean more days like this at legendary NorCal haunt Mavericks. Photo courtesy Rick Bucich/Flickr
The lowdown: El Niño removes the high-pressure bubble that sits over Southern California in the winter months, allowing storms to roll through and swells to stack up. On good days, it’s really, really good. That being said, beach erosion and flooding can also come into play. Elsewhere, Hawaii is so ravaged by stormy weather that conditions are often choppy and broken up, while the usually stormy Northwest goes calm as the jet stream dips south and sends its good graces to the Cali coast.
Skiing and snowboarding
Winners: New Mexico, Lake Tahoe
Losers: Idaho, Montana, Alaska
Kirkwood and the rest of Lake Tahoe, California, may look a little more like this next winter. Photo courtesy Golisnow/Flickr
The lowdown: After getting hammered with snow this winter, Idaho and Montana could get the cold and dry shoulder next year as precipitation slides farther south to the moisture-starved regions of California and the Southwest. Lake Tahoe might finally break out of its funk and have some fun of the deep white variety. Areas like Taos and Arizona Snowbowl might also be in for some legendary powder days, as El Niño tends to bring above-average moisture to the area.
Mountain biking
Winners: California, Washington, British Columbia
Losers: Idaho, Arizona
Sandy turns and some nasty wipeouts are the order of the day for some of Idaho’s bike parks this El Niño season. Photo courtesy Patrick Keough/Flickr
The lowdown: This is a bit of a flip-flop. On one hand, Washington and B.C., which notoriously have mud issues in spring, could see better conditions early on, as precipitation will be lighter in those regions. Inversely, Southern California’s sandy singletrack will actually have some tackiness to it during the spring and summer months, as rain should be plentiful. Flooding could also become an issue in Cali, however, making our predictions a total wash. Idaho’s unusual dry spell will make for sandy and washed-out riding, while oversaturation in Arizona could lead to flash flooding in some of its best bike zones. Thanks, but no thanks.
Fishing
Winners: California
Losers: The Mountain West
The Yellowstone and other rivers in the Mountain West could be in for a high and dry El Niño season—not ideal for the angler in all of us. Photo courtesy Jill Clardy/Flickr
The lowdown: California wins this round again as warm temperatures push exotic game fish closer to its shores and commercial fishing operations. On the other side, rivers in Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, and Colorado will be a trickle of their normal selves, leading to lame fishing seasons across the Mountain West. This could be a huge deal for sport fishermen and commercial guides alike moving through 2015.
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