ST. CLOUD -- Weather experts are predicting a strong El Nino weather pattern for the upcoming winter. But, what does that mean for the St. Cloud area?

State Climatologist Pete Boulay says he looked back at the last five El Nino winters in St. Cloud and found they were generally warmer than normal winters.  Of the five most recent El Nino weather patterns, three were strong El Ninos and brought warmer than average temperatures.  The two weaker El Ninos brought slightly colder than average temps.

The bad news is that all five El Nino winters brought less snowfall than average, and at times much less snow.

So, what about your grandparents' weather predictors like an abundance of acorns, thicker than normal corn husks and higher than normal beaver huts? Boulay says there's no science to back up those urban legends, but admits there's no science to disprove them either. He says they may be nature's way of responding to the previous winter season.

More From 98.1 Minnesota's New Country