Does El Niño mean earlier snow, or will it be delayed in New Jersey?

This winter might see the strongest El Niño ever, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). In the East Coast, El Niño effects are mostly felt during the winter months. Here's what to know about this year's winter in the East Coast. In the U.S., El Niño has its greatest impact during colder months, when the pattern increases the frequency of winter storms. El Niño also typically heats the air so the East Coast might see mixed precipitations of snow and rain combined. Because El Niño heats air, during an El Niño year, the first snowfall is typically delayed. Instead of getting our first snowfall early in December, it might not be until January when we start seeing the first snowfall. El Niño activates when parts of the Pacific Ocean near the Equator get warmer than usual triggering weather patterns with effects throughout the world. According to NOAA, when the Pacific Ocean water temperature rises half a degree Celsius above normal it is considered a weak El Niño, increasing in severity by half a degree to very strong at 2 degrees Celsius above normal. This year, El Niño index is expected to be unprecedented and exceed 3 degrees above normal, according to Columbia University's International Research Institute for Climate and Society. The previous record was set during the 2015-2016 EL Niño, when temperatures reached 2.75 degrees Celsius above normal and delivered heavy snowfall. The 2026 El Niño is expected to be the strongest ever according to predictive models analyzed by Carbon Brief. Juan Carlos Castillo is a New Jersey-based trending reporter for the USA Today network. He covers weather, and national events focusing on how they affect New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware. This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Does El Niño mean earlier snow, or will it be delayed in New Jersey?