Forecasters are predicting a warmer and wetter winter. Here's how El Nio will affect your region.

Loading...This winter is expected to be warmer and wetter, as national weather agencies point to a "Super El Niño" altering weather patterns across the globe.The latest forecast from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration estimates there will be warmer-than-average temperatures across much of the continental U.S., accompanied by above-average precipitation in several regions.El Niño years are also associated with coastal flooding on the Eastern seaboard and the West Coast."It's a strong, if not historic El Niño going into this winter," Ken Graham, the director of NOAA's National Weather Service, said at the same October media briefing that Graham addressed.Forecasters caution, however, that these predictions are just that, predictions.

El Niño can shift the odds toward certain conditions but it does not ensure they will happen.Still, the latest forecasts can help provide a roadmap for cities to prepare for potential impacts and allocate resources."These seasonal predictions are key to helping you prepare and giving you a heads up to assess all the risks and how to mitigate them," said Graham."Earlier and better decisions saves lives," he said.It's not all negative.Forecasters say this year's El Niño could bring rainfall to areas experiencing drought conditions.El Niño is a natural climate pattern that starts in the tropical Pacific Ocean.

Every few years, a vast area of water in the eastern Pacific warms near the equator.That water releases enormous amounts of heat into the atmosphere, shifting weather patterns around the world.

This year, meteorologists say the planet could experience the strongest one on record.Loading...

This El Niño weather pattern is on top of warming temperatures that result from fossil fuel emissions, which trap more heat in the atmosphere.Josh Willis, a climate scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, uses the term "Godzilla" to describe both the size and the actual impact of El Niño — "like a monster that st...