National Weather Service Releases ‘Winter Outlook’ for Iowa

Winter hasn't arrived -- not yet. But the Winter Outlook has. The National Weather Services says that 'La Niña' will influence the weather across the country.

This winter, Iowa can expect:

TEMPERATURE: Equal chances of being cooler or warmer than normal.

PRECIPITATION: Almost an equal chance of being wetter or drier than normal.

DROUGHT: Will continue or worsen

It looks like the majority of the southern portion of the country will experience 'warmer than normal temperatures.' The north will feature 'above average precipitation.' Eastern Iowa is on the cusp of the 'above average precipitation' zone.  

What is La Nina? La Niña is sometimes referred to as the cold phase of ENSO and El Niño as the warm phase of ENSO. (El Niño-Southern Oscillation)

The NOAA says:

these deviations from normal surface temperatures can have large-scale impacts not only on ocean processes, but also on global weather and climate.

El Niño and La Niña episodes typically last up to a year. El Niño and La Niña events occur on average every two to seven years. Typically, El Niño occurs more frequently than La Niña.