Godzilla El Nino

I love that title "Godzilla" El Nino that some people have begun calling what could be a major weather event in our future:

http://www.grindtv.com/nature/godzilla- ... ttdZzrl.97

If this happens, it might be a welcome sight to see in California where they are facing drought issues, but I wonder what effect this may have on the rest of the US, especially if it happens in winter time when there could possibly be snow and ice issues???

El ninos can actually affect weather patterns worldwide. When such a huge swath of the Pacific Ocean heats up like that, how could it not? The mechanism behind it is part of the usual Pacific Oceanic Oscillation (officially called El Nino Southern Oscillation). Trade winds in the south Pacific reverse over time, which brings warm surface water from Indonesia east towards South America. It prevents the normal upwelling of cold, nutrient rich water you normally get in that area, which creates an area of warm surface water, which affects global water/wind circulation patterns and weather. It may bring short term drought relief to California, but it may not last as it'll be too warm for snow. Spring snow melt is crucial for the state's water system, especially in the north. The most obvious effect right now is a very active storm season in the Pacific, with a quiet Atlantic one.

If you're concerned, the best thing to do is just google "el nino effects in (insert place you live here)". Meteorologists and climatologists have a decent sense of how this phenomenon affects different areas of the world, and info should be readily available if you just take a minute to search for it. For me in New England, it most likely means a milder winter with less snow. Given last year, I'm ok with that local effect.