NASA Climatologist: “El Niño Is Here and It Is Huge”

Climatologists are saying a strong El Niño is here and weather conditions are expected to get worse in the U.S. as it gains strength.

“It’s official. El Niño’s here. It’s a done deal,” NASA climatologist Bill Patzert told the Los Angeles Times. “So at this point, we’re just waiting for the impacts in California.”

A recent El Niño advisory was issued this week by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Climate Prediction Center, the National Centers for Environmental Prediction, the National Weather Service and the International Research Institute for Climate and Society.

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The advisory said El Niño will likely peak during the winter season as it continues to gain strength. It is expected to one of the most significant three episodes on record since 1950. In the United States, El Niño’s strongest impact is in Dec. through March.

Patzert told the LA Times that Californians should expect “mudslides, heavy rainfall [and] one storm after another like a conveyor belt. “These storms are imminent,” he said. “El Niño is here. And it is huge.”

The next full advisory is expected to be released in Dec.