A new climate outlook from the National Weather Service says La Niña is still in place right now, but there’s a strong chance that pattern will fade over the next few months.
La Niña is when cooler-than-normal ocean water in the Pacific affects weather patterns across the globe — often bringing drier conditions to the Southwest and parts of the Rockies. According to forecasters, there’s about a 75 percent chance we shift into neutral conditions between now and March, meaning neither El Niño nor La Niña would be in control.
Scientists say ocean temperatures are slowly warming below the surface, which usually signals a transition ahead. Even so, La Niña could still influence weather into early spring, and experts stress there’s plenty of uncertainty about how storms will line up over the next few months.
Bottom line: this winter’s climate pattern is changing, but it’s not a clean break just yet — and what happens later this season will matter most for snowpack and water supplies.
