![]() Meanwhile, off the west coast of the Americas, an increase in upwelling sends cold water toward the surface. Trade winds are stronger than usual under La Niña conditions, so they push more warm water toward Asia. "El Niño and La Niña are two opposing climate patterns that break these normal conditions." To replace that warm water, cold water rises from the depths - a process called upwelling," NOAA explains. "During normal conditions in the Pacific ocean, trade winds blow west along the equator, taking warm water from South America towards Asia. (There's also a "neutral" state, which is where we've been since the last La Niña ended.)Īs the agency explains ( with a helpful flowchart), forecasters can officially declare a La Niña event when sea surface temperatures clock in below a certain level, are modeled to remain under that threshold and prompt a noticeable atmospheric response, like changes in winds. ![]() La Niña and its counterpart, El Niño, alternately cool and warm large areas of the tropical ocean about every two to seven years on average. We'll start off with the technical explanation: It's one part of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) cycle, a natural climate pattern defined by opposing warm and cool phases of oceanic and atmospheric conditions in the Pacific. You would feel the effects of the construction project through its changes to normal patterns, but you wouldn't expect the construction project to 'hit' your house." "Different neighborhoods will be affected most at different times of the day. "Think of how a big construction project across town can change the flow of traffic near your house, with people being re-routed, side roads taking more traffic, and normal exits and on-ramps closed," states a NOAA webpage. Instead, it's a change in global atmospheric circulation that affects weather around the world. ![]() Scientists stress that La Niña is not a storm that hits a specific area at a given time. Here's a primer on how La Niña works and what it could mean for different parts of the country. "The Southwest will certainly remain a region of concern as we anticipate below-normal precipitation where drought conditions continue in most areas."įorecasters point out that this is actually the second La Niña winter in a row, a not-uncommon phenomenon that they call a " double-dip." The most recent period lasted from August 2020 to April 2021. while much of the South experiences above-normal temperatures," said Jon Gottschalck, chief of the Operational Prediction Branch, NOAA's Climate Prediction Center. "Consistent with typical La Niña conditions during winter months, we anticipate below-normal temperatures along portions of the northern tier of the U.S. is expected to feel its effects on temperature and precipitation, which could in turn have consequences for things such as hurricanes, tornadoes and droughts. La Niña (translated from Spanish as "little girl") is not a storm, but a climate pattern that occurs in the Pacific Ocean every few years and can impact weather around the world. Now it's forecasting wetter-than-average conditions across portions of the northern U.S., namely the Pacific Northwest, northern Rockies, Great Lakes, Ohio Valley and western Alaska. It's not a total surprise: NOAA announced earlier this month that La Niña conditions had already developed, with an 87% chance they would remain in place during that three-month period. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Climate Prediction Center released its official winter outlook on Thursday, and confirmed that La Niña conditions will be in place from December to February. La Niña will be joining us for the winter again, according to federal forecasters. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ![]() Forecasters say there's a nearly 90% chance that La Niña conditions will be in place from December 2021 to February 2022.
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