US East Coast Reaping the Beautiful Benefits of El Niño

Craftsman/Photographer

Community

$The Outer Banks of North Carolina has been enjoying one of its best winters in years.El Niño\'s effects have supplied the East Coast with an endless stream of storms. Photo: Mickey McCarthy$

The Outer Banks of North Carolina has been enjoying one of its best winters in years.El Niño's effects have supplied the East Coast with an endless stream of storms. Photo: Mickey McCarthy

$Not many beach towns let you drive on their beaches. However, October through May you can on North Carolina\'s Outer Banks. Here, Craig Watson rubbers up for Jonas at K street in Kill Devil Hills Avalon area. Photo: Mickey McCarthy$

Not many beach towns let you drive on their beaches. However, October through May you can on North Carolina's Outer Banks. Here, Craig Watson rubbers up for Jonas at K street in Kill Devil Hills Avalon area. Photo: Mickey McCarthy

$Brant Doyle. The water stayed abnormally warm this winter until winter storm Jonas moved through.The temperature of the water dropped out overnight into the low 50s.Here\'s Brant Doyle looking loose on his single fin in his heavy rubber. Photo: Mickey McCarthy$

Brant Doyle. The water stayed abnormally warm this winter until winter storm Jonas moved through.The temperature of the water dropped out overnight into the low 50s.Here's Brant Doyle looking loose on his single fin in his heavy rubber. Photo: Mickey McCarthy

$Jesse Hines and Matt Lusk. Jesse Hines and photographer Matt Lusk\'s moment of connection! Water photography is only for the tough here in the winter. Photo: Mickey McCarthy$

Jesse Hines and Matt Lusk. Jesse Hines and photographer Matt Lusk's moment of connection! Water photography is only for the tough here in the winter. Photo: Mickey McCarthy

Former pro Jesse Hines still makes time to hit it in the winter. He can still put on a clinic for the young bucks every time he surfs. Photo: Mickey McCarthy

This shot is from Christmas—still no gloves or hoods. A normal winter would have seen us in full winter gear by then. Unknown surfer catching an evening session at Avalon pier with the neighborhood crew. Photo: Mickey McCarthy

$Here\'s a perfect view of our sandbar setup in the Avalon K Street area. Shallow and hard packed, just off the beach, far enough to make a cold paddle out easy. Well, most of the time. Unless one those unloads on your head. Photo: Mickey McCarthy$

Here's a perfect view of our sandbar setup in the Avalon K Street area. Shallow and hard packed, just off the beach, far enough to make a cold paddle out easy. Well, most of the time. Unless one those unloads on your head. Photo: Mickey McCarthy

$The swell produced by winter storm Jonas finely cleaned up with the west winds. I don\'t recognize this goofy foot, but he\'s where he wants to be. Photo: Mickey McCarthy$

The swell produced by winter storm Jonas finely cleaned up with the west winds. I don't recognize this goofy foot, but he's where he wants to be. Photo: Mickey McCarthy

Hatteras Lighthouse. Clean and green! Photo: Mickey McCarthy

$Michael Meredith. The only word for this day is brutal. 50-degree water, 32-degree air temp, and an NW wind at 30+mph. I don\'t know what the wind chill was, but I know I froze my ass off shooting. Here\'s Michael Meredith braving the elements for a little speed rush. Photo: Mickey McCarthy$

Michael Meredith. The only word for this day is brutal. 50-degree water, 32-degree air temp, and an NW wind at 30+mph. I don't know what the wind chill was, but I know I froze my ass off shooting. Here's Michael Meredith braving the elements for a little speed rush. Photo: Mickey McCarthy

Morning high tide. Another shot from Jonas, late morning high tide peeler. Photo: Mickey McCarthy

Noah Snyder drawing one out in Nags Head. Photo: Mickey McCarthy

Raven Lundy made the drive south from Virginia to step off into some Outer Banks power. Photo: Mickey McCarthy

A beat up Avalon pier provides a backdrop for Ricky Miller as he puts his foamy in the face of this drainer. Photo: Mickey McCarthy

Unknown charger about to be slotted in Kill Devil Hills. I was bummed. See that little sea oats branch showing on the face? Well, it stole my auto focus on the next shot. Photo: Mickey McCarthy

$The 2015/16 El Niño has brought in a lot of strong storms this fall and winter season on North Carolina\'s Outer Banks.The storms have been packing a lot of strong winds and rain. Sometimes they have been violent. Here\'s a bit of energy exploding over the Wright Brothers\' Memorial in Kill Devil Hills, NC. That little hill that the memorial is on is all the Wright Brothers needed to make man\'s first powered flight! Photo: Mickey McCarthy$

The 2015/16 El Niño has brought in a lot of strong storms this fall and winter season on North Carolina's Outer Banks.The storms have been packing a lot of strong winds and rain. Sometimes they have been violent. Here's a bit of energy exploding over the Wright Brothers' Memorial in Kill Devil Hills, NC. That little hill that the memorial is on is all the Wright Brothers needed to make man's first powered flight! Photo: Mickey McCarthy

It’s odd to think that a weather pattern occurring thousands of miles away is impacting the climate on the East Coast. But it is. In fact, many scientists are blaming El Niño for setting in motion the mega winter storm that clobbered the East Coast earlier this week. But snow isn’t the only thing being delivered. The Outer Banks of North Carolina has been enjoying one the best winters in recent years. El Niño’s effects have supplied the East Coast with a endless stream of great waves.

Contribute

Join our community of contributors.

Apply

US East Coast Reaping the Beautiful Benefits of El Niño

Newsletter

Contribute