Drought conditions in Washington that prompted Gov. Jay Inslee last week to declare an emergency are likely to grow worse because of a strengthening El Nino weather pattern in the Pacific Ocean.
A weather researcher for Washington State University says El Nino may bring relief to drought-stricken California, but it's likely to bring more heat and dryness to the Northwest.
El Nino is produced by an ocean-warming phenomenon.
Researcher Gerrit Hoogenboom says it typically brings rainfall to central and southern California, but leads to warmer weather and less precipitation in the Pacific Northwest.
Hoogenboom's comments follow an announcement by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration that El Nino has been building strength since March. The agency says there is a greater than 80 percent chance it will persist all year.

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