El Niño: Is It Coming, or Is It Here?

Scattered thunderstorms are again battering the mountain and high desert areas with potential for flooding rain, fierce lightning and even hail. Monsoonal moisture continues across Southern California, and where it’s not raining, there’s plenty of moisture in the air. Forecasters say a warming of Pacific Ocean waters could have a big effect on California weather in the next several months, going into next year. An El Niño, as it's known, could mean beneficial rain to combat a four-year drought in the region. But it could also mean some potentially dangerous and damaging weather as well. KCRW's Steve Chiotakis spoke with Fritz Coleman, a forecaster for KNBC-TV, and Ron Lin, a reporter for the LA Times.