El Niño has arrived in the Pacific Ocean, and federal forecasters say it could become one of the strongest on record by winter — raising the odds for, but not guaranteeing, a wetter and more volatile rainy season in California. Scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on Thursday announced there is a 63% chance that very strong El Niño conditions will appear from November to January. … Some computer models are showing water temperatures could jump to 5.4 degrees Fahrenheit above normal, said Daniel Swain, a climate scientist with the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources division. … He mentioned higher chances of major winter rainstorms in California, which could bring huge snow totals to the Sierra, along with higher chances of Pacific hurricanes.

Other El Niño news:

• San Francisco Chronicle: S.F. to see record summer high tide, flooding — and the forecast just got worse
• The Desert Sun (Palm Springs, Calif.): El Niño could hit California economy with flood, supply shocks
• The Coloradoan (Fort Collins): Chances of super El Niño continue to climb. What it means for Colorado