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    • What this could mean for Iowa’s winter weather forecast
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    What this could mean for Iowa’s winter weather forecast

    Pabio Posted on

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    The long-awaited La Niña weather phenomenon is almost fully formed, federal scientists say. THE Climate Prediction Center said there was a 60% chance La Niña conditions would emerge by the end of November.

    Once this trend forms, it is expected to persist from January to March 2025. But what does this mean for winter in Iowa?

    What is La Niña?

    La Nina is a natural climate pattern marked by colder than average sea water in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean. When the water cools to at least 0.9 degrees Fahrenheit below average for three consecutive months, a La Niña is declared.

    It is one of the major climatic factors in the United States, especially in late fall, winter, and early spring. This is the opposite of the better-known El Niño phenomenon, which occurs when the water in the Pacific Ocean is at least 0.9 degrees warmer than average for three months.

    How could La Niña affect Iowa?

    La Niña’s influence is most impactful in northern and southern states, as well as along the East Coast, said Brooke Hagenhoff, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Des Moines. Toward the central United States, La Niña begins to make less of a difference. This makes it difficult to draw conclusions about what to expect.

    More: What does the NOAA winter outlook show for Iowa and the Midwest?

    “What we do know is that recent La Niña events have generally favored a warmer start to the winter season in our region,” Hagenhoff said. “Followed by colder, snowier conditions during the second half of winter and a later spring.”

    Iowa is in the “La Niña Watch” phase, said state climatologist Justin Glisan. Currently, there are no clear guidelines for Iowa, as the state has. equal chance of higher, lower, or normal winter temperatures.

    How could La Niña affect the United States?

    A typical La Niña winter in the United States brings cold and snow to the Northwest and unusually dry conditions to most southern states, according to the Climate Prediction Center. The Southeast and Mid-Atlantic also tend to experience above-average temperatures during a La Niña winter.

    New England and the upper Midwest to New York tend to experience below-average temperatures, the Weather Channel said.

    USA TODAY reporter Doyle Rice contributed to this report.

    Victoria Reyna-Rodriguez is a general assignment reporter for the Register. Contact her at [email protected] or follow her on Twitter @VictoriaReynaR.

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