Here’s what a La Niña winter could mean for the United States

Meteorologists predict that a weak La Niña will likely occur this winter, bringing warmer weather in the southern states and a colder, wetter winter in the northwestern United States.

There is a 60% chance that the La Niña phenomenon will appear next November and continue until January or March 2025, according to the National Oceanic and Research Center. Atmosphere management.

This weather event is expected to disrupt weather patterns across the United States and affect the amount of rain and snow that certain areas will see this season. It could also mean a more severe hurricane season, the agency warned.

The last time the Big Apple experienced a La Niña event, conditions were warm and with little snow, though meteorologists warn that anything could happen with the weather.

What is a La Niña winter?

The word “La Niña” or “little girl” in Spanish refers to the periodic cooling of the Pacific waters off the coast of South America.

“La Niña means these temperatures are below average while El Niño is warmer than average. It’s a global pattern that fluctuates from season to season,” Stephanie Van Oppen, a meteorologist at the Fox Forecast Center, told The Post.

The weather event tends to occur every three to five years. Last year, the United States experienced the opposite effect – El Niño – which brought very little snow above warm, humid conditions to the Big Apple.

Although La Niña is a naturally occurring phenomenon, the climate event can “change our weather patterns based on that part of the ocean temperature,” Van Oppen said.

What does this mean for the United States?

During La Niña events, cold waters in the Pacific Ocean push the jet stream northward, often resulting in drought in the southern United States and heavy rains that drenching the northern part of the country and Canada.

“If we see La Niña conditions develop this winter, the Southeast could expect warmer-than-average temperatures and a drier-than-average winter,” Van Oppen said. “The northern tier, places like Montana, Colorado and the Midwest, could see cooler than average temperatures.”

“The Pacific Northwest and then into the Great Lakes could see a wetter than average winter,” Van Oppen added.

In New York City, La Niña can mean a variety of things, according to Van Oppen, who said it puts the Big Apple in a “boom or bust” scenario.

“It can mean a lot [of snow] “Or very little snow,” Van Oppen said.

Historically, La Niña has brought blizzards and little snow to the five boroughs, meaning it’s unpredictable what kind of winter New York City will experience.

“It kind of puts us in a bubble as to whether or not we get the conditions for major snow events, or whether or not we’re stuck in a snow drought,” Van Oppen said.

Countries that could be most affected

The Pacific Northwest will likely bear the brunt of La Niña.

“They will likely see above average snowfall, which will likely lead to colder temperatures as well,” Van Oppen said.

If La Niña occurs, states like Oregon, Washington and Idaho will likely see multiple weather systems move across the Pacific Northwest from the Pacific Ocean, bringing with them piles of rain and snow.

These conditions will also have the potential to track across the Great Lake region, though they likely won’t be as affected as the northern West Coast states, Van Oppen said.

When was the last time this happened?

The last time the United States experienced a La Niña event was in the 2022-2023 winter season when it brought warm and humid weather to New York City.

“We only saw 2.3 inches of snowfall in Central Park all winter. However, there have been other instances in the past where we’ve seen really big snow, most notably the January 1995-96 blizzard that hit Central Park, which was also during La Niña.” The weak.

The 2022-2023 season was also the third consecutive year the United States experienced La Niña conditions, a rare phenomenon meteorologists have referred to as a “triple dip.”