"El Nino Finally Here; But This One Is Weak, Weird And Late"

"WASHINGTON — A long anticipated El Nino has finally arrived. But for drought-struck California, it's too little, too late, meteorologists say.

The National Weather Service on Thursday proclaimed the phenomenon is now in place. It's a warming of a certain patch of the central Pacific that changes weather patterns worldwide, associated with flooding in some places, droughts elsewhere, a generally warmer globe, and fewer Atlantic hurricanes. El Ninos are usually so important that economists even track them because of how they affect commodities.

But this is a weak, weird and late version of El Nino, so don't expect too many places to feel its effects, said Mike Halpert, deputy director of the weather service's Climate Prediction Center. He said there may be a slight decrease in the number of Atlantic hurricanes this summer if the condition persists, but he also points out that 1992's devastating Hurricane Andrew occurred during an El Nino summer, so coastal residents shouldn't let their guard down."

Seth Borenstein reports for the Associated Press March 5, 2015.

SEE ALSO:

"NOAA: El Nino Is 'Too Little, Too Late' for California Drought" (Los Angeles Times)