Lazaro Aleman
ECB Publishing, Inc.
Despite the fall season having arrived, cooler weather has so far largely eluded the Sunshine State, and now meteorologists are saying that the winter is going to be drier and warmer than usual.
This according to NOAA’s 2021 official winter outlook, which was released last week and extends from December 2021 through February 2022. NOAA stands for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
The outlook – a product of NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center (CPS), a division of the National Weather Service – predicts above-average temperatures across the South and most of the eastern U.S. for the second winter in a row.
The reason for the warmer conditions, according to the CPS, can be attributed to the reemergence of La Niña, a world impacting climate pattern that occurs in the Pacific Ocean every few years and that is the counterpart of El Niño. La Niña means "the girl" in Spanish, whereas El Niño means "the boy".
“Consistent with typical La Niña conditions during winter months, we anticipate that much of the South will experience above-normal temperatures,” said Jon Gottschalck, chief of the CPC’s operational prediction branch.
Along with the above-normal temperatures, the CPC also predicts less precipitation and drier-than-average conditions across the Southeast, including Florida.
Typically, according to meteorologists, La Niña winters tend to be drier and warmer across the southern U.S. and cooler and wetter in the northern U.S. and Canada.
La Niña also, according to the experts, can lead to more frequent and more severe Atlantic hurricanes, which has proven to be case in recent years.
The two climate patterns, El Niño and La Niña, generally last nine to 12 months but can sometimes stretch for years, according to experts. The two patterns tend to develop in the spring, reach peak intensity during the late fall and winter, and weaken during the following spring or summer.
Meaning, say the experts, that La Niña's influence on the U.S. will likely be most felt between January and March, although it may linger until early spring.
The CPC’s next outlook will be released on Nov. 19.