NASA satellite image of El Nino in 2006. It looks kinda like a hypercolor Death StarFriend of lowland-dwellers and enemy of skiers and water supplies, El Nino appears to be on its way back. So says local weather expert Cliff Mass on his local weather blog. El Nino conditions occur when the surface temperatures of the tropical part of the Pacific Ocean temperatures warm up. The result is often drier, less stormy winters in our neck of the woods. By contrast, last winter was a La Nina year–hence the heavy snow.While Mass notes on his blog that he “would hesitate to buy an annual ski pass at Snoqualmie Summit” if El Nino conditions persist, he joked over the phone that “it’s good news for the Mayor.”He says it’s unlikely that El Nino will have any effects on our summer, which is currently predicted to have average temperatures and below-average precipitation.