La Niña has been in full swing this winter season. The cooler-than-normal sea surface temperatures have been the driving force behind our below average snowfall and temperatures the past couple of months. However, there are signs that La Niña is fading and the water temperatures are warming again.
La Niña is still expected to continue through at least March, but sea surface temperatures will start rising in April and May.
The Climate Prediction Center just released its 90-day outlook, and as the Pacific Ocean shifts into a neutral pattern, there are signs that above-normal temperatures will begin expanding across the southwest, plains states and east coast in April and May. The precipitation outlook shows equal chances for being below or above normal. If we experience near-normal precipitation we can still see some decent snow in March and better chances for a few inches of rain in April and May.
The CPC will release its full discussion in early March and afterwards we will provide another update.
