Too soon to think about winter? WSU sees good and bad news

Weather this winter could make up for this month’s heat wave in the Tri-Cities.

Signs are increasing that the upcoming winter could be mild, according to information from Washington State University’s AgWeatherNet in Prosser.

El Nino likely is coming back, said WSU meteorologist Nic Loyd.

“Should an El Nino emerge, the Pacific Northwest could see warmer than normal (winter) temperatures,” he said.

The downside would be less snow in the mountains to provide irrigation water.

One of the strongest El NInos on record in winter 2015-16 left a low mountain snowpack that contributed to drought conditions the following summer.

Scientists with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration recently announced a 70-percent chance of El Nino conditions from December through February. It’s an increase from the 64 percent prediction a month earlier.

An El Nino is marked by periodic warming of water in the tropical Pacific Ocean and influences weather that varies by region around the world.

There’s no way to know if the El Nino developing now will be strong or weak, Loyd said.

This story was originally published July 18, 2018 at 4:00 PM.