Warm Winter: Not Global Warming! (yet)

http://www.cnn.com/2007/WEATHER/01/04/warm.winter.ap/index.html

Meteorologists say the warm spell is due to a combination of factors.

El Nino, a cyclical warming trend now under way in the Pacific Ocean, can lead to milder weather, particularly in the Northeast.

The jet stream, the high-altitude air current that works like a barricade to hold back warm Southern air, is running much farther north than usual over the East Coast.

The weather is prone to short-term fluctuations, and forecasters said the mild winter does not necessarily mean global warming is upon us.