Good news for winter lovers and ice fishermen: It seems that ocean surface temperatures aren't pointing toward a favorable El Nino this coming winter, which could have a significant impact on the weather in the Great Lakes region. El Nino is a condition where a band of warm ocean water develops in the Pacific, right along the Equator. However, as MLive reports, things aren't exactly adding up for strong El Nino conditions this season, and that means a brutally cold winter could be lurking in the coming months. Take a look at the snapshot from NOAA below, and you'll notice the cooler temperatures being reported out of the southeast Pacific:

El Nino

If this pattern continues, you can pretty much kiss the chances of an El Nino goodbye, which can be a bit of a catch-22 for some. For myself, winter is a fun time, and colder temperatures mean more ice fishing opportunities. No El Nino would also likely mean more snow, so snowboarders and skiers won't have a boring time this winter, either. But, it is tough to deny that winter can sometimes drag on way too long. Eventually, it gets to a point where daydreams of bass fishing and turkey hunting become too much, and then I'm ready for spring and summer again. All this talk about winter and it's not even deer season yet . . . I guess with this news though, I'm hoping to have my buck tag filled early so I don't have to battle the big bad winter heading our way.