The La Niña Winter

Dailey Arnold, Staff Writer

Last month, the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) declared a La Niña winter in the United States. This climate pattern is characterized by strong trade winds that lead to cooler temperatures in the Pacific Ocean, which result in colder and wetter conditions in the Northwest but warmer weather in the South. According to an article released by NOAA, these “[w]etter-than-average conditions are most likely in western Alaska, the Pacific Northwest, northern Rockies, Great Lakes and Ohio Valley.” 

This is the third consecutive year that La Niña will return. Scientists believe that this winter may improve drought conditions in some areas of the United States, including the Northwest, while worsening it in others. According to another NOAA statistic, 100% of the people in Deschutes County are affected by drought.