Soon, it will be time to grab your mittens and ice scrapers with frigid winter mornings right around the corner. And this chilly season could be brutal again, as meteorologists say that unwelcome guest La Niña is back for the third year in a row.
This is the first time in the 21st century that the meteorological system over the Pacific has returned for three consecutive years. La Niña is a powerful force, which impacts weather patterns worldwide.
Meteorologists at the World Meteorological Organization for the United Nations have projected that El Nina's wacky weather patterns will continue through the end of this year.
"It is exceptional to have three consecutive years with a la Niña event," Petteri Taalas, the WMO Secretary-General, said in a statement.
The system occurs when strong winds blow warm water on the surface of the Pacific Ocean across the equator, resulting in cooler water rising to the surface. The event often causes a wide range of effects on the weather.
In the U.S., La Niña results in colder temperatures in the northwestern part of the states and Canada. In the southwestern U.S., it means rain clouds are pushed to sea, creating a drier climate, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
While some expect there to be a cold and bitter winter as a result of La Niña, not all are convinced. News Talk 830 WCCO's lead meteorologist Paul Douglas shared that while seeing a third in as many years is "unusual," it doesn't mean the worst is coming.
"There is a weak correlation between La Niña and colder winters," Douglas said. "It doesn't absolutely mean we're going to have a rough 'pioneer' or 'polar vortex' winter."
Douglas went on to say that there are just too many "unknowable" factors and that no one will know until they happen.
"I suspect the upcoming winter won't be anything like last winter," Douglas said. "That is just the nature of weather, and La Nina is just one of a large number of variables that will determine what kind of winter it is."
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