Drought, Fire Risk To Remain High During 3rd La Niña Winter
Newsy
Winter is likely to bring drier conditions across Southern states and wetter weather for areas including the Great Lakes region and Pacific Northwest.
Drought and wildfire risks will remain elevated in Western states while warmer-than-average temperatures will greet the Southwest, Gulf Coast and East Coast this winter, federal weather officials said Thursday.
La Niña, a weather pattern characterized by cold ocean temperatures in the equatorial Pacific Ocean, is returning for a rare third winter, officials with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said. That means December, January and February are likely to bring drier-than-average conditions across the Southern states and wetter-than-average weather for areas including the Great Lakes region and Pacific Northwest.
The forecast means droughts that have punished the Great Plains and Western states are likely to continue, the agency said. Wildfires will remain a risk, and some parts of the country will likely be in greater danger than before, said Brad Pugh, the operational drought lead with NOAA's Climate Prediction Center.
