Another El Ni?o Coming?

NU Online News Service, Jan. 23, 2:31 p.m.EST?A meteorological consulting firm is suggesting that ElNi?o, the big world weather generator that can alter storm tracksand rainfall, might be on the way back this year.

Compu-Weather of Hopewell Junction, N.Y. said El Ni?o couldreturn in early spring and affect the United States by latesummer.

The firm noted that a severe El Ni?o in 1997-98 caused floodingin California and along the Gulf Coast.

On the plus side, Compu-Weather noted that El Ni?o's clouds canhave their silver linings, reporting that the 1997-98 event wasresponsible, at least in part, for a warm winter across thenorthern United States that saved millions on heating bills.

It also credited the past El Ni?o with saving the lives ofpeople who otherwise might have been killed in accidents on icyroads.

Compu-Weather said El Ni?os also tend to reduce the number andstrength of hurricanes over the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea andGulf of Mexico and the 1997 hurricane season was one of thequietest of the decade.

If El Ni?o develops as expected, according to Compu-Weather, thePacific Northwest will likely experience drier than normalconditions in the fall. Then next winter, the area from Louisianaover to Florida, and possibly southern California, could experiencewetter than normal conditions, while the northern Great Plainscould experience warmer than normal temperatures.