Next winter's weather may surprise you. A disturbance that's brewing in the tropics could affect weather patterns around the world.
Scientists can usually make fairly accurate predictions about what kind of weather to expect.
But an atmospheric disruption in the Pacific Ocean can upset normal weather patterns. During an El Ni o year, trade winds relax in the Pacific and sea levels change. Places that are normally dry may flood, thirsty areas may stay bone dry, and ski areas may not get much snow. Pacific winds are shifting, so scientists predict that you may feel the effects of El Ni o this coming winter. The EnvironMinute is produced in cooperation with the National Safety Council and made possible by the Teresa and H. John Heinz III Foundation.