Forecasters say a mighty El Niño warming eastern Pacific Ocean waters has the potential to bring nasty snowstorms to Colorado this winter, especially in the southwest part of the state.

While skiers and snowboarders are holding their breath in hopes of deep snow, the National Weather Service in Boulder cautions that nothing is certain.

“It’s possible right now,” Bernie Meier, a Weather Service meteorologist, said of El Niño potential. “The waters are fairly warm for this time of year; that’s why we’re expecting it to be a strong one. We definitely can’t rule out it being a record one.”

Forecasters have nicknamed the current El Niño “Bruce Lee” and say it is already the second-strongest on record for this time of year. The Weather Service says it could be the biggest they’ve seen in 50 years.

The World Meteorological Organization says it appears Bruce Lee will strengthen before the year ends. And according to the Weather Service’s climate prediction center, temperature and precipitation impacts could last into 2016.

“There is a greater than 90 percent chance that El Niño will continue through Northern Hemisphere winter 2015-16,” the prediction center said in an El Niño advisory. “And around an 85 percent chance it will last into early spring 2016.”

El Niños, which brew in the waters off the Central and South American coasts, typically bring excess precipitation to California and leave Montana and Idaho abnormally dry. In Colorado, forecasters say, the weather phenomenon often means monster snow events.

“The biggest correlation we see is many of our bigger storms and stronger storms have occurred in El Niño years,” Meier said. “As far as above-normal precipitation and below-normal precipitation (in Colorado), we haven’t seen any correlation.”

Joel Gratz, founding meteorologist of OpenSnow.com, says while El Niño offers no forecast guarantees, “it tips the odds” toward there being more snow.

In previous years of strong El Niño, Gratz said he has seen trends of big storms.

“Each of those seasons started out pretty strong and each of those (ski and snowboard) seasons ended pretty strong,” he said. “The in between, the meat of the season, was below average.”

Economic studies have shown El Niño years can have a positive boost. Colorado’s ski areas, plagued by weak and inconsistent snowfalls in the past several years, certainly hope that is the case.

“It’s exciting news,” said Jennifer Rudolph, spokeswoman for Colorado Ski Country USA. “It certainly adds to the buzz and anticipation of the season.”

Rudolph said resorts won’t know until after Labor Day Weekend if season pass sales will get an uptick from the news.

“For the industry overall, the fact that everyone is talking about this giant El Niño is great,” she said. “Overall, a rising tide lifts all boats.”

Jesse Paul: 303-954-1733 or jpaul@denverpost.com

The Associated Press contributed to this report.