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Old Posted Jul 9, 2009, 11:22 PM
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Delirium Delirium is offline
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El Nino may hurt Vancouver Olympics

What can you do? Add it to the list i suppose. Pandemic, global recession and now El Nino. LOL

What was it like during the last El Nino here?

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From King5.com

Forecasters say El Nino is back, which means the potential for lower snowfall and warmer temperatures this coming Winter in the Pacific Northwest.

That could also mean a big problem for skiers and snowboarders next February at the Olympic Games in Vancouver and Whistler, B.C. as well as for ski resorts in the Cascades.

Scientists with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration say the surface temperature along a narrow band in the eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean climbed to 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit above normal last month.

The forecasters said they expect this El Nino to continue strengthening over the next few months and to last through the winter of 2009-2010. That could mean warmer and drier than normal conditions for the Pacific Northwest.

KING 5 Meteorologist Rich Marriott says during a typical El Nino winter, the storm systems from the Pacific will split as they approach the West Coast and head north to Alaska and south to central and southern California.

As a result, that leaves Washington, Oregon and British Columbia with warmer temperatures and lower snowfall.

The timing is not good for snow at Whistler, B.C., which will be host to the alpine events of the Winter Olympics in just 7 months.

“It could have a bad effect on the Winter Games,” said Marriott.

The timing is also not good for Northwest ski area operators, who face the possibility of having to open the season later than usual because of the expected low snowfall.

El Nino also presents potential problems for the Northwest fishing industry. NOAA says warmer oceans can lead to a reduction in the seafood catch off the West Coast, and fewer fish can also impact food sources for several types of birds and marine mammals.

http://www.king5.com/localnews/stories/NW_070808WXB-el-nino-snowfall-olympics-TP.24234630.html