Hopes of an almighty El Ni\u00f1o bringing rain to a drought-stricken California – with its fallow fields, depleted streams and parched lawns – were further dashed Thursday. The National Weather Service, in its monthly El Ni\u00f1o report, again downgraded the chances of the influential weather pattern occurring in the fall or winter.<\/p>\n
The odds were 80 percent in May, but were placed between 60 and 65 percent this week.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the agency also announced that the much-needed weather event is likely to be weak instead of moderate in strength – another retreat from the more robust projections made earlier this year that fueled speculation that California’s three-year dry spell might be snapped.<\/p>\n
El Ni\u00f1os, defined by warming Pacific Ocean waters that release enough energy to shape worldwide weather, have been associated with wet winters in the Golden State. The strong 1997-98 event correlated with San Francisco’s biggest recorded rain year: a whopping 47.2 inches of rain.<\/p>\n
But the correlation doesn’t always hold up. While El Ni\u00f1os carry the potential to bring quenching showers, this week’s climate report doesn’t necessarily doom the state to another year of drought.<\/p>\n
More at SFGate.com<\/a> >>><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Hopes of an almighty El Ni\u00f1o bringing rain to a drought-stricken California – with its fallow fields, depleted streams and parched lawns – were further dashed Thursday. The National Weather Service, in its monthly El Ni\u00f1o report, again downgraded the chances of the influential weather pattern occurring in the fall or winter. The odds were … Continue reading California Drought: El Ni\u00f1o Chances Fall Again<\/span>