What are some of the U.S. weather and climate impacts related to La Niña?
Hurricanes: Hurricanes are more likely to form across the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico during La Niña than El Niño. The Atlantic’s two busiest back-to-back seasons on record–1995 and 1996–occurred near the beginning and end of the last La Niña. The 1998 season also has been unusually active. Tornadoes: Despite the intense, frequent tornadoes during this past spring across the South and East, research at Florida State University shows that outbreaks of violent tornadoes east of the Mississippi River are actually more likely during springs that follow La Niña than during those that follow El Niño. Precipitation: The Southeast, Great Plains, and Southwest tend to be drier than normal, while the Mississippi and Ohio Valleys are often wetter than usual. The Pacific Northwest tends to be wetter during La Niña than El Niño, a pattern that sometimes extends as far south as northern California. Temperature: On average, colder than normal conditions become more likely across the northern
