El Nino is an abnormal warming of the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean. While it hasn't really been in the news much for a few years, it is something the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has been watching closely. That's because those waters have been slightly warmer-than-average the last month or two, a sign that an El Nino may be brewing.

But NOAA won't officially announce the formation of an El Nino without some other conditions being present. These include: the water warming over several months, an increase in rainfall over the unusually warm waters, and a weakening of the so-called "trade winds" which typically blow east-to-west across the tropical Pacific.

So in the meantime, NOAA will monitor the situation and issue monthly updates. You can see those updates for yourself at the web site of the Climate Prediction Center, check out

www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov.