Chances for El Niño this winter 'sputtering'
With a hoped-for El Niño "sputtering," scientists Thursday said it's looking less likely that one strong enough to potentially produce a heavy winter and pull the West out of a protracted drought will really occur.
The U.S. Climate Prediction Center released its monthly outlook Thursday, with the forecast lowering the likelihood that an El Niño will establish to about 65 percent, down from an 80 percent chance cited just a month ago.