By: Elijah Lauffenberger

Compared to last year, this winter has been abnormally warm. According to the 2016 US Climate Data, the average temperature of December 2014 was 33 degrees, and December 2015 average was 44 degrees. This is all because of El Niño. According to the Oxford dictionary, an El Niño is “An irregularly occurring and complex series of climatic changes affecting the equatorial Pacific region and beyond every few years, characterized by the appearance of unusually warm, nutrient-poor water off northern Peru and Ecuador, typically in late December.” This abnormal weather pattern happens every three to seven years.

El Niño has made this winter generally mild and warm from years before. This event is a blessing for surfers. It increases the size of the waves by 100%. This El Niño is quite a nice one.