The polls have closed on the latest seasonal outlook for California, and the results are unanimous. All 51 forecasts of one of the world’s leading seasonal models call for a wetter-than-normal December through March in the San Francisco area, with the average forecast at about 26 inches of rain, nearly double the normal. The forecasts, released Thursday by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, also anticipate a wetter than normal winter for cities up and down the state amid the extremely strong El Niño. … The model data puts just about every part of California at high likelihood for above-average precipitation over the next few months. In the Sierra, that should eventually translate to above-average snowfall, but the bulk of the snow may not come until after Christmas as warm temperatures could keep snow restricted to higher elevations, with rain below the snow line.

Other water and weather forecast news around the West:

• The Sacramento Bee (Calif.): This weekend’s California weather: Enjoy the calm before atmospheric river rainstorm
• ABC15 (Phoenix): Halloween rainfall brings drought relief to Arizona, but experts say snowpack is key