Pacific Ocean's heat wave could rewrite this winter’s weather

A vast Pacific marine heat wave spanning more than eight times the size of the contiguous U.S. and about 13.5% of Earth’s surface formed from a North Pacific anomaly and a growing El Niño. It could reshuffle weather this winter and spring, fueling Typhoon Bavi in the western Pacific and a potential heat dome over the western U.S. this summer, while pushing California coastal seas higher by roughly 6 inches to 2 feet and boosting rainfall and wildfire risk. Linked to the Pacific Meridional Mode and ongoing warming, global ocean heat has surged in recent decades, making extreme weather more likely.