Where Did El Niño Go? Heat, Dry Spell Stoke Drought Worry

SONOMA, Calif. (AP) - Where did El Niño go?

Ten days with record heat and no rain have Californians worrying about the drought again.

The strong El Niño had brought the state near-normal rain and snow this winter, raising hopes that four years of record dry conditions were over.

But highs surging to 95 degrees in Southern California have surfers and golfers out in February.

Climate researcher Sam Iacobellis with Scripps Institution of Oceanography in San Diego says this El Niño so far hasn't brought the strong rain and other weather patterns that meteorologists expect with big El Ninos.

Forecasters with the National Weather Service say it's normal to have some long dry spells even during strong El Niño.

Forecasters expect some rain next week, after more record highs in much of the West.

Copyright 2016 The Associated Press.