National forecasters predict an El Nino year. Climate experts say the storms are likely to be as strong as the El Nino 18 years ago, and people in the arid southwest are already dealing with above-average precipitation.
But in Idaho, scientists say the Gem State is in for another hot and dry year.
John Abatzoglou is a climatologist at the University of Idaho. He says El Nino in Idaho typically brings below normal temperatures and less precipitation, and another year like 2015 is not good news for the northern part of the state.
“It was one of the warmest and driest summers, following the snow drought of last year," says Abatzoglou. "And with an El Nino in place, the strongest signatures for below normal precipitation and above normal temperatures are in the Idaho Panhandle and the Clearwater.”
The 2015 drought put a strain on the state’s agricultural producers, and wildfires made gains in dry and hot conditions.
Abatzoglou says the effects of global climate change are also something he considers when making seasonal forecasts in Idaho.
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