El Niño is here, and chances are it'll be a doozy. What that means for California

The Climate Prediction Center has officially announced the arrival of El Niño, a natural climate pattern characterized by warmer-than-average ocean temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean. This specific edition is shaping up to be particularly potent and potentially record-breaking. Consequently, this weather phenomenon is expected to shift global weather patterns and may bring significantly higher amounts of rain to Southern California as it progresses throughout the current season.