Vehicles drive on the flooded Freeway 5 after an El Niño-strengthened storm brought rain to Los Angeles on Jan. 6, 2016.
Lucy Nicholson | ReutersThe El Niño weather pattern is still active heading into the winter this year and it will mean the northern and far west portions of the U.S. will have a warmer-than-usual winter.
El Niño, meaning "little boy" in Spanish, and La Niña, meaning "little girl" in Spanish, are opposite weather patterns driven by a change in the trade winds in the Pacific Ocean.
This is the first time in four years that El Niño has been active as winter begins, according to the NOAA.
While El Niño rains will alleviate ongoing droughts in some regions, it may also drive the development of drought conditions in the Pacific Northwest.
Persons:
El, Lucy Nicholson, El Niño, Jon Gottschalck, Brad Pugh, Pugh
Organizations:
National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, NOAA, Rockies
Locations:
Los Angeles, El, U.S, Alaska, Pacific Northwest, New England, Gulf, Mississippi, Great Lakes, Michigan, Ohio, Indiana