Major Shift in Global Climate Patterns: La Niña Set to Influence Weather
Federal forecasters have announced the official end of the potent "super" El Niño, with the hurricane-boosting La Niña climate pattern expected to begin in the coming months. According to the Climate Prediction Center, there is a 65% chance that La Niña will emerge during the summer and an 85% chance that it will persist through the winter of 2024-25.
La Niña's emergence is significant as it often increases hurricane activity in the Atlantic Basin, affecting storms that form in the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico. It also impacts winter weather patterns across the United States and globally. In contrast, El Niño typically suppresses Atlantic hurricane activity while contributing to higher global temperatures.
Forecasters explain that La Niña can lead to more hurricanes by weakening the wind shear over the Caribbean Sea and tropical Atlantic basin, allowing storms to develop and intensify. This has led to predictions of a particularly active hurricane season, with forecasts suggesting up to 33 named storms, compared to an average of 14.
Currently, the planet is in an ENSO-neutral phase, meaning sea surface temperatures in the Pacific Ocean are neither unusually warm nor cool. However, conditions are expected to shift towards La Niña later this year.
El Niño, named after "the little boy" or "Christ child" in Spanish, is a natural climate pattern that occurs every two to seven years, marked by warmer-than-average sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean. The entire cycle, known as the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), alternates between warmer and cooler phases, with La Niña representing the cooler phase.
A typical La Niña winter in the U.S. brings cold and snow to the Northwest and dry conditions to the Southern states. The Southeast and mid-Atlantic regions generally experience higher-than-average temperatures, while New England and the Upper Midwest tend to see lower-than-average temperatures.
The recent El Niño was among the strongest recorded, significantly contributing to the highest global temperatures in 2023. However, its end does not signal a halt in long-term climate change, as greenhouse gases continue to trap heat in the atmosphere.
Stay informed about these climate patterns and their potential impacts on weather and environmental conditions in your area.
FAQs
What is El Niño?
- El Niño is a climate pattern where sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean are warmer than average. It occurs every two to seven years and can affect global weather patterns.
What is La Niña?
- La Niña is the opposite of El Niño, characterized by cooler-than-average sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean. It also influences global weather patterns, often increasing hurricane activity in the Atlantic.
What does ENSO-neutral mean?
- ENSO-neutral refers to conditions where sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern tropical Pacific are neither significantly warmer nor cooler than average.
How does La Niña affect weather in the U.S.?
- During a La Niña winter, the Northwest typically experiences cold and snowy conditions, while the Southern states see unusually dry weather. The Southeast and mid-Atlantic regions tend to have higher-than-average temperatures.
How did the recent El Niño impact global temperatures?
- The recent El Niño, one of the strongest on record, contributed to the highest global temperatures recorded in 2023. Despite its end, long-term climate change continues due to greenhouse gases.
- #ClimateChange
- #LaNina
- #WeatherPatterns
- #EnvironmentalImpact
- #HurricaneSeason
