Temperatures in the equatorial Pacific have begun to cool, indicating that El Niño may be gone by April. There’s a 55 percent chance that La Niña will develop by the summer. La Niña is sometimes associated with warmer and drier conditions here in Southern California, though last year was a La Niña year and it was historically wet.
Climate change could strengthen La Niña and El Niño conditions through the end of the century, though by how much would depend on the emissions scenario.