Just when you thought you might never see it again, rain came to the Hill. Pictured is upper Fern Valley with a brief heavy downpour early Tuesday morning, and then resuming later in the morning as a constant gentle rain. Photo by Marshall Smith
Just when you thought you might never see it again, rain came to the Hill. Pictured is upper Fern Valley with a brief heavy downpour early Tuesday morning, and then resuming later in the morning as a constant gentle rain.
Photo by Marshall Smith

Earlier this month, the NWS announced that its weather models “more strongly favor an ENSO-neutral” winter weather pattern. During the spring and summer, the NWS was forecasting a possible “La Niña” weather pattern.

Typically, La Niña weather patterns produce less rainfall than normal. Since the excessive rain forecast for last winter’s El Niño never materialized, the neutral or normal weather possibility is a much better opportunity than a La Niña pattern.

Currently the neutral condition has a 55 to 60 percent probability to occur during the fall and winter of 2016-17.

“Overall the combined ocean and atmosphere system continues to reflect [a likelihood of] neutral,” the announcement said.