Whither Winter?

So, what's up with all the weird weather? Is it El Niño? Is it global warming? Is it both? Yes, yes and yes, answers the Why Files. While El Niño (or more properly, the El Niño Southern Oscillation, or ENSO) -- the enfant terrible of global weather -- is in full effect, the natural variations it causes are now layered atop warmer background conditions, such as higher average sea surface temperatures. The Why Files notes that one near-term result of the warm North American winter has been a slide in fuel prices, which can be expected to lead to greater fuel consumption and, in turn, still greater emissions of heat-trapping carbon dioxide ... and, finally, more warm winters.