El Nino makes Olympics snow less likely

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Jan. 18 (UPI) -- Olympic organizers say they are confident there will be enough snow when the Games open in Vancouver, Canada, despite unseasonably warm weather.

Chris Doyle, chief meteorologist for the Games, says a cooling trend is on its way and will bring some welcome flurries to the Pacific Northwest after a run of heavy rain and above-freezing temperatures.

The longer-range forecasts, however, are less certain, Doyle told the Seattle Times. "Rain and/or snow, it could be either way," he said. "It's a coin toss."

The Olympics are less than a month away and organizers are reassuring everyone that they have a formidable arsenal of snow-making machinery that will make up for whatever Mother Nature can't provide.

The Times said Monday that snow-making guns only work if the temperature is below freezing, which current El Nino conditions make less likely.