WASHINGTON (7News) – Looking back, the D.C. area has experienced a lack of significant snowfall over the past five winters. Last winter, the eastern Pacific Ocean experienced a robust El Nino, which was marked by higher than usual sea surface temperatures near the equator. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) had predicted this phenomenon, and our winter weather outlooks were adjusted. An El Nino pattern typically results in significantly higher snowfall than average across the Mid-Atlantic.