La Niña’s Impact on the 2024-2025 Winter Season Across the U.S.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has released its 2024-2025 winter outlook, highlighting the influence of a slowly developing La Niña on the upcoming winter season across the United States. La Niña, characterized by cooler water temperatures in the Eastern Pacific, is expected to shape the weather patterns in various regions.

In the Pacific Northwest, La Niña typically brings below-average temperatures and stormy, wetter conditions. This region can expect increased rainfall and potential snowfall, contrasting with the generally dry and warm conditions anticipated in the southern states.

The Midwest and the Ohio Valley are forecasted to experience wetter than normal conditions, which could manifest as either rain or snow depending on the temperature. This is due to the jet stream being pushed north and across the middle part of the country, a common effect of La Niña.

In Arizona, the weak La Niña event is likely to result in above-normal temperatures and below-normal precipitation, although there is still a 10%-30% chance of wetter than normal conditions. This variability underscores that not all La Niña events lead to uniformly dry conditions.

Iowa and other parts of the Midwest can anticipate a potentially colder winter, but the impact of a weak La Niña may be less pronounced compared to stronger events. The National Weather Service emphasizes that other climate factors, including climate change, will also influence the winter weather.

For regions like Southeast Michigan, the winter outlook suggests a wetter winter with potential for above-average snowfall during cold snaps. Last winter was notably warm and below average in snowfall, but this year’s conditions are expected to be different due to La Niña’s influence.