Cooling Pacific Waters: What La Niña Means for the U. S.

This autumn, there's a good chance of a La Niña event hitting the Pacific. La Niña is like the cool cousin of El Niño, both part of a natural climate pattern called ENSO. During La Niña, sea temperatures in the Pacific drop below average, and this can change weather patterns all over the U. S. In the southern part of the country, it might get warmer and drier, especially near the Mexican border and in Florida. But up north, in places like the Northeast and Ohio Valley, things could get wetter. The central and southern U. S. might also face more cold spells because of changes in the jet stream. All this cold and wet weather could mean more snow in places like New England, New York, and the Great Lakes. La Niña can also influence hurricane formation. It might lead to more hurricanes in the Atlantic and fewer in the Pacific. One bright side is that the cold Pacific waters can be rich in nutrients, which is great for marine life like squid and salmon off the coast of California. La Niña's effects aren't just felt in the U. S. Countries in South America and Southeast Asia might also see changes in their weather patterns. Scientists can predict when La Niña might happen, but it's tough to say how strong it will be. Different institutes around the world monitor ENSO conditions and might have slightly different forecasts. Right now, many models suggest that we're headed for cooler Pacific temperatures.