… El Niño, the weather phenomena that produces warmer sea surface waters and weakened trade winds, has typically also brought wet winters to Southern California. … But the connection between ocean conditions and rainfall has weakened this century. That forces scientists to adjust forecasts, and public officials to plan for a wider range of scenarios. Adding to that uncertainty are San Diego’s aging stormwater systems and century-old dams. That’s why the city of San Diego convened an El Niño working group with members of every city department to prepare for weather related emergencies.

Other El Niño news:

• The Sacramento Bee (Calif.): Super El Niño charging ‘full steam ahead,’ potentially drenching California like never before
• CBS San Francisco: Coastal California has seen less fog and more humidity due to El Niño
• Yale E360: Blog: In an already broiling summer, El Niño is about to turn up the heat