Adios, El Niño: Meteorologists' Hopes Fade For California Drought Relief
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — It looks like a record-breaking drought across the Southland and the rest of California won't be getting any relief from the weather phenomenon known as "El Niño".
After a promising rainy season last spring, meteorologists say El Niño conditions quickly faded through the summer months and are unlikely to have any significant impact this winter.
NASA climatologist Dr. William Patzert told KNX 1070 NEWSRADIO that while strong El Nino systems have traditionally meant wet winters and plentiful storm systems, this year will be different.
"Right now, we're about 35 percent of normal for our seasonal rainfall, so we're already behind the curve at this point," said Patzert. "It's mid-November here, so if there's gonna be rain, it better hurry up."
Earlier this year, meteorologists had predicted at least a 50 percent chance that El Niño would form during summer or fall.