SOUTHLAND – (INT) - It could be the last hurrah for El Nino.

A monthly update on the warm Pacific water phenomenon issued Thursday shows it weakening by late spring or early summer followed by dry La Nina conditions returning this fall.

But before the transition, the Climate Prediction Center said there is an increased likelihood of above-normal precipitation across the southern tier of states from Southern California to the Gulf Coast from now into April. Above-average temperatures are favored in the North and West.

While El Nino-generated snowstorms have given the Northern Sierras a generous blanket of snow this winter, rainfall in Southern California has come up short. A blocking fair weather high pressure ridge over the Eastern Pacific has been re-directing incoming storms to the north.

The Climate Prediction Center’s update is the first indication of La Nina re-imposing another dry spell later in the year.

Story Date: February 15, 2016