El Nino conditions in the Pacific Ocean are 95% likely to last through March 2024, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
This summer saw the development of the present El Nino trend, which is intensifying much more.
The cold season is here, and according to AccuWeather's long-range forecasts, El Nino will have a significant influence on our winter and determine who may get snowfall that is over normal.
The latter part of the season is typically calmer during most El Nino (warming of the equatorial Pacific) seasons, like the one we are experiencing this year.
That being said, there have always been some significant storms throughout the first couple weeks of October.
The most recent hurricane to hit Florida was Matthew in 2016, which made landfall during the first week of October and caused significant damage.
On October 7, the storm made landfall closest to Jax Beach, about 40 miles offshore.
We had an abnormally dry August (and early September), but we came up slightly shy of the average for the wet season.