The winter outlook in Western Washington continues to show higher-than-normal chances of warmer, with the possibility of drier conditions.
In the winter, a typical El Nino can lead to wetter-than-average rain in the south and drier and warmer conditions in the north.
"Although a weak El Nino is expected, it may still influence the winter season by bringing wetter conditions across the southern United States, and warmer, drier conditions to parts of the North," Halpert said.
There’s as much as a 75 percent higher chance that our winter will be warmer than normal in Western Washington.
There are equal chances for either a wetter, or drier winter.
NOAA says drought conditions are likely to persist, including some areas of the Pacific Northwest.
David Miskus with NOAA says the worst drought conditions in the Pacific Northwest are in Oregon and Southwest Washington.
Drought improvements for areas from the Cascades and areas west to the coast are expected.
It’s less clear for Eastern Washington, but conditions aren’t as sever there as they are in Oregon, which are expected to improve in the coming months.
This means that while it may be an El Nino winter, we will still see periods of cold temperatures and snowfall.