It seems like every couple of years, the folks at NASA or NOAA will issue a press release saying something along the lines of "this year we'll have the big one" before adding that El Niño may be gearing up to dump devastating rains all over the Americas. The frequency of these predictions seems to have increased in recent years, largely due to the epic drought that has been drying up the Western United States as of late. The people living in these regions are praying for rain, even if it arrives in disastrous proportions, and the media is more than willing to entertain their fantasy.

This year has been no different, with climatologists predicting an El Niño weather pattern that could break records. Of course, making long-term weather forecasts is no easy task, and they're wrong more often than they're right. However, based on past climate trends this year looks like it might finally be the one, as climatologists admit that the odds of a devastating El Niño occurring this winter are on the rise.

An El Niño that is among the strongest on record is gaining strength in the Pacific Ocean, and climate scientists say California is likely to face a wet winter.