El Nino is back, but weaker than its last visit to the Pacific Ocean.
The result should be a mild winter for Jefferson and Clallam counties, with less precipitation and slightly warmer temperatures.
The predictions come despite last week’s rainfall — and after the region’s second driest July through October on record resulted in voluntary water restrictions in Port Townsend and sent West End rivers to record lows.
In addition, a cold front pushed temperatures into the mid-20s across the North Olympic Peninsula on Monday.
This year’s El Nino isn’t expected to cause damage across the world as the one in the winter of 1997-1998 did.
The weather pattern was blamed for 23,000 deaths and $32 billion worth of damage from flooding and other weather problems in 1997-98.
Most of the damage in this country occurred across the southern United States. That El Nino was the strongest in recorded history.
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