The National Weather Service's Climate Prediction Center has issued an El Nino watch.

State Climatologist Barry Keim says a watch means the National Weather Service expects an El Nino to form sometime before the end of the year.

El Nino is when waters warm in the equatorial Pacific between South America and Tahiti.

Keim says warmer waters in the tropical Pacific Ocean is usually good news for Louisiana because if it happens in time for August and September, we will see fewer hurricanes and weaker tropical systems that do form.

The changing wind patterns also usually mean cooler and wetter winters for Louisiana.