El Nino Puts on Big Boy Pants

Federal climate experts have upgraded the growing El Niño from moderate to strong, but say the upgrade doesn’t mean Californians should expect brimming reservoirs following the state’s years-long drought.

Mike Halpert, deputy director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Climate Prediction Center said that despite the upgrade, the current El Nino isn’t likely to pack the punch of 1997 or 1987.

“We’re favoring a strong event. It could potentially be in the top three, but saying any more than that is really just hazarding a guess,” Halpert said. However, people should not assume that “El Niño is here to save the day.”

Also See:

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The upgrade was based on water-temperature readings in the central Pacific, which forecasters said were the warmest in more than a decade.

“There is now a 95 percent chance that El Niño will last through the winter,” Halpert said. “Whether it remains strong through the winter, is not at a 95 percent chance, but we certainly do favor that.”

El Niño is expected to weaken as spring 2016 wears on.

City News Service