A rare third year of La Niña is on deck for California, forecasters say La Niña is likely to stay in place this year.
The seasonally-adjusted Niño 3.4 Index, a measure to the tropical Pacific Ocean surface temperatures, is forecast to fall from a strong El Niño since 2009 to a weak La Niña between 2015 and 2016.
La Niña is a period that is characterized by less rainfall than normal during the winter and spring, while in the summer, above-normal rainfall is followed by drought conditions.
“La Niña conditions are expected to persist into January and into the first two quarters of 2016, with a La Niña-like phase lasting 12 to 18 months,” the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said in a news release.
In fact, a third year of the phenomenon can be seen this month as the latest monthly rainfall anomaly is recorded at 0.07 inches above average.
If La Niña lasts longer, this winter could be the coldest since 2009, according to preliminary results of the first year of the phenomenon by the National Weather Service and NOAA.
“La Niña conditions are expected to persist into January and into the first two quarters of 2016, with a La Niña-like phase lasting 12 to 18 months,” the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said in a news release.
In fact, a third year of the phenomenon can be seen this month as the latest monthly rainfall anomaly is recorded at 0.07 inches above average.
If La Niña lasts longer, this winter could be the coldest since 2009, according to preliminary results of the first year of the phenomenon by the National Weather Service and NOAA.
Even though the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is predicting a dry winter for much of the country, there is yet to be the first snowfall of the season, which means we could see a wet winter this year.
The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrator (NOAA) and U.S. Meteorological Service (USMS) recently announced a wet year, at least in Washington, D.C.
The National Weather Service in Washington has forecast a wet winter in the capital.
“The Washington forecast remains a wet winter, with the city likely to see above-average rainfall through the
