La Niña Climate Pattern Takes Hold: What to Expect This Winter
A weak La Niña climate pattern has taken hold of the U.S., and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced that it expects this weak La Niña to persist through the beginning of winter and into the early part of 2026. Montana State Earth Sciences Prof. Eric Sproles joins FOX Weather to discuss the arrival of La Niña and its expected impacts on winter.
Montana State Earth Sciences Prof. Eric Sproles joins FOX Weather to talk about the arrival of La Nina and its expected impacts on winter.
NOAA expects La Niña conditions to become more influential on U.S. weather through December. But what exactly is La Niña, and how will it impact the country this winter?
Understanding La Niña and El Niño Climate Patterns
La Niña is one of three climatological phases of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) that describe natural changes in Pacific Ocean temperatures and atmospheric circulation that can greatly influence global weather. While La Niña describes colder conditions, El Niño describes warmer conditions, and ENSO neutral refers to a state where temperatures are close to average.
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FILE – Snow-laden trees near 10th and Baltimore in Kansas City are seen, Tuesday, February 26, 2013, while the second major snowstorm hit the Kansas City metro in less than a week.
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FILE – A Flagstaff resident cleaning the sidewalk again adding to the snow mound almost as high as she is.
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FILE – MINNEAPOLIS, MN. – DECEMBER 2022: A pedestrian walks down Nicollet Mall while high winds kick up snow Thursday, Dec. 22, 2022 in downtown Minneapolis. (Photo by Alex Kormann/Star Tribune via Getty Images)
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FILE: Northbound traffic on I-95 is at a standstill following a tractor trailer that jack-knived in the snowstorm.
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A man walking in his shorts during a snowstorm on January 23, 2016 in New York.
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Bowie, the golden retriever, having some extra fun on his morning walk in Bayonne, NJ on Jan. 7, 2022. (Image: Sebastienne Sliwowski)
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People walk in a street during a snowstorm.
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Snow Plow
(North Carolina DOT)
Impacts of La Niña on Winter Weather
The Northern Tier and Northwest typically see more snow during La Niña winters, while the southern part of the country typically stays warm and dry. However, NOAA noted that this La Niña is not particularly strong, meaning that some of those typical impacts might not be seen this season.
FOX Weather Meteorologists Jane Minar and Marissa Torres discuss the impacts of the La Nina climate pattern on this winter season.
Other key patterns, the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), Arctic Oscillation (AO), and the Western Pacific Oscillation (WPO), together with La Niña will shape the weather across the next two months. Both the NAO and AO are currently indicating a more amplified jet stream across the Lower 48, meaning stormier weather to end the month.
Winter Weather Outlook
According to the FOX Forecast Center, all these patterns together signal warmer-than-average temperatures and wetter-than-average conditions for the eastern part of the country to end November. Meanwhile, colder-than-average conditions are expected to persist across California and the Northwest across that timeframe.
NOAA expects above-average temperatures across the eastern half of the country through the end of November.
(FOX Weather / FOX Weather)
As La Niña increases in influence through December, NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center expects more chances for arctic air to funnel into the Lower 48 bringing frigid temperatures and potentially snow.
Image Source: www.foxweather.com
