Weather Phenomenon Could Lead to Less Active Hurricane Season

(Lafayette, Louisiana) - The Gulf Coast is warming up, and soon everyone in the Deep South will be preparing for the upcoming hurricane season.

The 2025 hurricane season was not much of a threat to those along the Gulf Coast, but with a new season just a few months away, what will the 2026 season bring?

Well, while that may be hard to determine, something happening off the west coast of South America could produce a very weak or inactive Atlantic Hurricane Season. Meteorologist Zack Fradella recently shared on X that the weather phenomenon known as El Niño has begun to form off the coast of South America, and it could develop into a "Super Niño," which would be good news for those along the East Coast and Gulf Coast this hurricane season.

As Fradella explained in his social media post, "El Niño leads to fewer storms for the Atlantic basin. If we develop a strong El Niño (Super Nino), this could be one of the slowest hurricane seasons in recent memory."

How El Niño Impacts Hurricanes in The Atlantic

El Niño increases upper-level winds (wind shear) over the Atlantic. If you know anything about hurricanes, you know that wind shear is the biggest obstacle for any storm to form over water (even warm water).

Now, does this mean that there will be no hurricanes in the Atlantic in 2026? No, it just means that there could be fewer hurricanes forming in the Atlantic. However, it only takes one storm to impact a region, thus you never want to let your guard down during the annual hurricane season.

When Does Hurricane Season Start and End?

By the way, the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season starts on June 1 and goes through November.

So, while El Niño could produce fewer hurricanes this season, remember to prepare, and it's not too early to have a plan. You should always have an evacuation plan in place in the event of a storm hitting your area, and know where all of your important documents are so you can retrieve them quickly if you have to evacuate.

If you have a generator at your home, you should service it before June 1st and ensure it is operating properly.

Again, while this El Niño news sounds promising for many along the Gulf Coast, we will say it again: this should not encourage you to put your guard down. The news is promising, and we hope that no one is impacted by a storm in the months ahead.

Here's another explanation of how El Niño could impact the upcoming Atlantic hurricane season.

For the upcoming hurricane season, the National Weather Service is debuting a new tropical cyclone track, "the cone." Check out the added features below.

If you want a forecast for the upcoming season, Accuweather has released its hurricane season forecast, and as you willl see, they do expect some storms to impact the United States. However, will a "Super Niño" diminish the threat of storms as we get closer to June and even the peak of the season? We will have to wait and see.