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El Niño Forecast To Bring 50 Percent More Precipitation To California

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — El Niño's arrival seems imminent – forecasters continue to say California's winter will be warmer and definitely wetter.

The U.S. Winter Outlook issued Thursday by the NOAA Climate Prediction Center says this year's El Niño could produce more than 50 percent more precipitation in California.

"A strong El Niño is in place and should exert a strong influence over our weather this winter," Mike Halpert, deputy director of NOAA's Climate Prediction Center, said in a statement. "While temperature and precipitation impacts associated with El Niño are favored, El Niño is not the only player. Cold-air outbreaks and snow storms will likely occur at times this winter."

Above average temperatures are also forecast for much of the West and the northern half of the contiguous United States, according to the NOAA.

This winter's El Niño is also expected to improve California's drought, but not end it.

"While it is good news that drought improvement is predicted for California, one season of above-average rain and snow is unlikely to remove four years of drought," Halpert said. "California would need close to twice its normal rainfall to get out of drought and that's unlikely."

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