Missouri Places with the Most Snow if a Super El Niño Happens

If forecasters are right, one of the strongest super El Niño events on record could cause historic winter weather conditions. How will this affect Missouri? The outlook for snow in Missouri would be much different if this upcoming winter weather patterns happens as forecasted.

What is a super "El Niño"?

This is the weather pattern that is defined by sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean rising 2° Celsius (3.6° Fahrenheit) or more above average. It's the result of weak trade winds allowing warm water in the Pacific Ocean to shift eastward toward South America. What does this mean for Missouri? Historically, winter storm tracks trend more southward than normal. If that occurs, here are the 10 places in Missouri most likely to be impacted the most:

1 - Kirksville

Northern enough to retain cold air, while still close enough to the southern storm track

2 - Macon

Excellent position for Missouri snowstorms tracking through the central part of the state

3 - Chillicothe

Northern Missouri cold + potential storm-track influence

4 - Columbia

Very favorable central-Missouri position for snow/ice-producing systems

5 - St. Joseph

Normally one of Missouri's snowier population centers

6 - Kansas City

Storm track can put KC right in the sweet spot during certain setups

7 - Jefferson City

Can benefit from southern storm systems while retaining some cold-air potential

8 - Rolla

Higher elevation gives it an advantage over parts of southern Missouri

9 - Springfield

Potentially very stormy, but temperature becomes a bigger problem

10 - St. Louis

Big snow is possible, but warm-sector/rain/ice risks are significant

It's all but a certainty that a super El Niño will happen this winter as patterns in the Pacific Ocean are already showing that development. The only question now is how strong it will be. It won't be long before we find out what this will mean for the upcoming winter in Missouri.