La Niña weather returns to California: What to know
A La Niña Watch has been issued for California, signaling the possible return of the weather pattern.
The conditions are expected to develop late this fall and winter but are likely to be short-lived.
Forecasters predict average to below-average rainfall for Southern California this winter as a result.
LOS ANGELES - La Niña weather conditions are making a comeback in California soon.
This comes as a La Niña Watch was issued by the NOAA on Thursday. The alert will run through the emergence of a La Niña or until water temperatures start to warm in the Central and Eastern Pacific.
What is La Niña?
What we know
La Niña is the cool phase of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) cycle. During this time, there are cooler-than-average sea surface temperatures in the Central and Eastern Pacific Ocean.
Each cycle typically lasts between 9 months and a year, but there isn't a set schedule for when the world enters either La Niña or El Niño state.
What is the difference between La Niña and El Niño?
What they're saying
La Niña is the cool phase which is the opposite of El Niño, when warmer waters dominate the same region.
While a strong La Niña brings colder, stormier weather to much of the U.S., El Niño is known to produce more zonal patterns which lead to milder air.
A La Niña occurs when water temperatures are at least 0.5 degrees C cooler than normal for several consecutive months, while an El Niño unfolds during an equivalent episode of warmer-than-normal temperatures.
Both La Niña and El Niño tend to have their strongest influence over the weather in the winter.
El Niños occur irregularly, approximately every 2 to 7 years.
What does it mean?
What they're saying
According to the NOAA, the forecast models point towards ENSO-neutral conditions for the rest of 2025 and into 2026, with the odds of El Niño developing low.
Forecasters said if La Niña develops it will likely be short, but odds increase in the new year that neutral conditions will prevail.
This means, during winter, the southern U.S. stays warmer than average while the northern U.S. is cooler. Last winter qualified as a La Niña event, though it was weak.
Forecasters said La Niña conditions are likely to develop late fall into early winter before revering back to a neutral late winter.
"The forecast team narrowly favors La Niña thresholds being reached" between September and January, the CPC said in its forecast.
How does it impact California?
Forecasters said the odds are La Niña will bring average to below-average rainfall across Southern California this winter.
The Source
Information for this story is from the National Weather Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. FOX Weather contributed.
Solve the daily Crossword
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
4 minutes ago
- New York Post
Hurricane Erin to batter East Coast with ‘monster' waves — even as its path shows it moving out to sea
Hurricane Erin will bring 'monster' waves to the East Coast as a powers through the Atlantic — even though its path is almost certain to stay far off shore. Erin — the first hurricane of the 2025 Atlantic season — was spinning as a Category 4 storm with sustained winds of 140-mph north of the Turks and Caicos Monday afternoon, and is expected to veer northward as the week continues. The storm will skirt outside the Bahamas, then cut between the US and Bermuda as it turns to the northeast and heads up the East Coast and out to sea. 3 Hurricane Erin is currently just north of Turks and Caicos and its path will begin pivoting north before veering northeast. FOX Weather But that cut will bring the storm dangerously close to North Carolina Wednesday night into Thursday morning — with forecasters warning the sheer power of the outer bands of the cyclone could send waves up to 20 feet high crashing into the vulnerable reaches of the Outer Banks. 'There's going to be monster waves, strong winds up and down the coast,' said Fox Weather Meteorologist Cody Braud. 'That's where the worst hit will be.' 'I would expect wave heights into the coastline in the 10 to 20-foot range, especially as you get closer to Cape Hatteras or the Outer Banks of Carolina,' Braud said. The spaghetti models predicting the storm's path all now show it will not come near shore. Those massive waves prompted a state of emergency in North Carolina Sunday in preparation for the storm's arrival, with Hatteras Island — the easternmost reach of the Outer Banks — and nearby towns being placed under mandatory evacuation orders over fears they could be washed out to sea. 3 Hurricane Erin will likely not make landfall, but will send massive waves crashing into the East Coast later in the week. FOX Weather Most evacuation orders come into effect Tuesday morning. The storm will bring winds up to 50-mph with some gusts reaching 60-mph in North Carolina, and while rain will fall, it isn't expected to be enough to cause flooding and will be more of an 'afterthought' compared to the wave dangers, according to Fox Weather. The rest of the East Coast will also be lashed by waves large waves, though not to the degree North Carolina will. Florida can expect waves between 6 and 9-feet, and even as the storm turns northeast and heads out to sea Thursday into Friday it will still hurl waves between 10 and 12-feet at New York and New England. Those dangerous conditions — even with the storm raging hundreds of miles from shore — show just how catastrophic Hurricane Erin is. 3 Hurricane Erin is forecast to slip between Bermuda and the US mainland and move up the East Coast. NOAA New York City and inland areas are unlikely to experience any major effects from the hurricane, Fox Weather predicted. 'I have a suspicion most people probably won't even notice it,' Broad said, explaining the most anybody in the city will notice are slightly gusty winds. When Hurricane Erin first formed as a tropical storm a week ago on Aug. 11, there were fears it might barrel into the US on a westward track instead of turning northeast and skirting along the east coast. But Fox Weather said there is no chance of that happening anymore, and that there was a 'near zero' chance that the hurricane will make landfall anywhere.
Fast Company
4 minutes ago
- Fast Company
Aurora borealis August 2025: Northern lights may be visible in 14 states tonight. Here's the forecast for where and when
Another reason to love the last weeks of summer: You may be able to see the northern lights tonight and tomorrow night in over a dozen northern states. If you missed the recent Perseid meteor shower, don't fret, this light show is forecast to run Monday, August 18 through Wednesday, August 20, in Washington, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, and Alaska, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Space Weather Prediction Center. The agency's three-day forecast is predicting minor, G1 geomagnetic storms (on a scale of G1 to G5). During these storms, a stream of solar wind from a coronal hole on the sun creates the auroras—or swaths of blue, green, and purple in the sky—when it reaches Earth. When is the best time to see the northern lights? The aurora borealis is usually best observed after sunset or just before sunrise, away from well-lit areas, per the NOAA. The best time to see this week's northern lights is between 10 p.m. and 4 a.m., according to ABC News, as the moon is expected to rise in the early morning hours, making the sky appear even darker and increasing the chance of seeing swaths of pink and green light. The NOAA predicts increased solar activity will remain high through 2025 and into 2026 as a result of an 11-year sun cycle peaking through October. You can track the aurora on the NOAA's page, where the agency is providing updates.
Yahoo
28 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Northern lights may be visible in 15 states tonight, including NH and Maine
With nice temperatures, clear skies and a forecast that it's possible to see the Northern lights in 15 states tonight, including New Hampshire and Maine, it's a good evening to spend some time outside. The Space Weather Prediction Center is predicting that northern states from Washington to Maine have a chance to see the natural phenomenon due to a minor G1 storm. Northern Maine and the very tip of northern New Hampshire have the best chance at seeing the aurora borealis, though it's not a guarantee. Map of where Northern lights may be visible In the forecast, the following states have the best chance of seeing the auroras. Washington Idaho Montana North Dakota South Dakota Minnesota Wisconsin Michigan Alaska However, the following states are in the view line, which shows where people still may have a chance of seeing the phenomena. Wyoming Iowa New York Vermont New Hampshire Maine When is the best time to see the northern lights? The northern lights are typically most visible between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. according to NOAA. Accprding to the 3-day forecast by the Space Prediction Center, the best time to see this storm is likely between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. How to see the northern lights As always, dark skies make for better stargazing. "We typically suggest getting away from cities and find a open field or hilltop to lay out under the stars and wait for the show to really peak at the late evening or early morning hours," Massachusetts Institute of Technology Technical Instructor and Observatory Manager Tim Brothers said in a past interview with Wicked Local. He continued, "In New England, heading for a local conservation area or park that keeps lighting off at night is ideal. Another option is a coastline away from the larger cities — the benefit being that the constellation where you will see most of the 'shooting stars.'" Places to check for northern lights forecast If you want a chance at seeing the Northern Lights, here are some websites you can monitor the sun's activity: Aurora Alerts The Space Weather Prediction Center Aurora forecast page (NOAA) Aurora Reach This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Northern lights could be visible in NH, Maine tonight. See map Solve the daily Crossword
