La Niña likely for next month, NOAA says. Here’s what it means for winter weather
Story by Alix Martichoux
• 3h •
(NEXSTAR) – La Niña hasn’t left us just yet. The climate phenomenon is expected to “continue for the next month or two,” national forecasters said in an update Thursday.
This year’s La Niña, which officially arrived on the scene in October, is favored to last through most of the 2025-2026 winter before dissipating sometime early next year, according to the Climate Prediction Center, part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
In the meantime, the climate pattern continues to influence the type of weather we’ll see this winter. Typically, La Niña keeps weather dry and warmer in the southern half of the country, making drought conditions worse in Southern California and the Southwest. On the other hand, the Pacific Northwest and Ohio Valley tend to see more precipitation during a La Niña winter.
That pattern matches up pretty closely with what the Climate Prediction Center is predicting for the next three months: more precipitation – which could be rain or snow – for the northern states, but less-than-average precipitation down south.
NOAA releases 2025-26 winter weather predictions. Here’s what to expect
La Niña generally divides the country into two fates, but the dividing line moves year to year. That uncertainty shows in the forecast map below, with the middle of the country having equal chances of above-average, below-average and normal precipitation.
The temperature outlook, similarly, divides the country. Northern states are favored to see colder-than-normal weather this winter, according to the long-range forecast. States shaded in orange, especially Arizona, New Mexico and Florida, are favored to see a warmer-than-average winter.
In the nearer term, a dozen states were under a Winter Weather Advisory on Thursday. Heavy snow was falling in parts of the Midwest and Pennsylvania while freezing rain threatened the morning commute in parts of the Plains states. Lake effect snow was also in the forecast for Western New York.
The Pacific Northwest was also being hit by a series of powerful storms. Residents in parts of Oregon and Washington grappled with power outages, flooding and school closures, while drivers navigated debris slides and water that closed roads and submerged vehicles. Forecasters warned that the worst was still to come, with some major rivers expected to crest later in the week.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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La Niña likely for next month, NOAA says. Here’s what it means for winter weather
A typical La Niña pattern. (Map: NOAA)
La Niña likely for next month, NOAA says. Here’s what it means for winter weather
La Niña likely for next month, NOAA says. Here’s what it means for winter weather |
