CLEVELAND — NOAA says that La Niña conditions are favored to persist through February 2026. Have you ever wondered why and how this climate phenomena got its name?

The names El Niño and La Niña trace their roots to fishermen along the Pacific coast of Peru and Ecuador in the 1600s. They noticed periodic changes in ocean temperature that affected their catch.

A Fishermen’s Discovery

As early as the 1600s, Peruvian fishermen noticed every few years around Christmas, the usually cool, nutrient-rich waters of the eastern Pacific turned unusually warm. The change disrupted marine life and reduced fish populations, especially anchovies, which thrived in cold waters.

This warming often arrived in December, near the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, the fishermen nicknamed the event

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