LA NINA

With a moderate La Nina in place, once again Central Florida joined the past six years for being one of the warmest years on record.

Winter does impact the Sunshine State and while it may not be with ice and snow, it is with storms and drought.

Winter Weather FILE - This Thursday, Aug. 12, 2021 file photo shows the Pineview Reservoir, a popular recreation spot in Ogden Valley, at a quarter full. Expect a drier, warmer winter down south and a wetter winter up north, the National Weather Service said Thursday, Oct. 21, 2021. (Francisco Kjolseth/The Salt Lake Tribune via AP, File) (Francisco Kjolseth)NEW YORK — (AP) — Expect a drier, warmer winter down south and a wetter winter up north, U.S. government forecasters said Thursday. The National Weather Service predicted two-thirds of the U.S. will see above average temperatures from December through February, while the Pacific Northwest and southern Alaska will likely get colder than usual. A dry winter down south means worsening drought across Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, Southern California and other Western states.

Expect a drier, warmer winter down south and a wetter winter up north, U.S. government forecasters said Thursday. The National Weather Service predicted two-thirds of the U.S. will see above average temperatures from December through February, while the Pacific Northwest and southern Alaska will likely get colder than usual. The Midwest, Northwestern states and Hawaii should expect above normal precipitation while the South will have less.

The Atlantic is nice and quiet as we venture through the middle of October, but that could change in the final week or so of the month.

A controlled burn at Pine Lily Preserve on Highway 50 will likely produce smoke for miles, according to offiicals.

In addition to those large-scale features, another large plume of Saharan dust is trekking across the Atlantic.

The family and representatives of Black men slain by the police met with senators and White House officials Thursday — and left optimistic that police reform could be approved by May 25, the anniversary of the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Following a joint congressional address Wednesday night in which President Joe Biden asked Congress to approve reform by May 25, the families and their representatives met with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York, Democratic Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey, Republican Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina and Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina.

With a strong La Nina in place to start 2021, it’s no surprise that March is the third consecutive month to run warmer and drier than usual.

ORLANDO, Fla. – Strong La Nina conditions persisted for another season across the globe which means a warmer and drier than normal Winter was expected. Although Central Florida fell further into a deficit with rainfall during the winter season, temperatures ran much closer to normal. During January, temperatures fluctuated cooler and warmer than normal periods basically balancing each other out. This see-saw in temperatures over the past three months, in turn, meant a very typical winter season for Central Floridians. Despite the increase in rainfall toward the end of the season, the drier than normal conditions for December and January overshadowed the wetter pattern into February.

Orlando, FLA. – With a strong La Nina in play across the globe, it’s no surprise that our lawns are extra crunchy this winter. Colder, drier than normal weather has been the trend since the beginning of December with a steady stream of cold fronts sweeping through the area. Although these fronts have ushered in plenty of chilly air this season, they rarely packed much rain. The lack of rain puts many areas on track for one of the driest winters on record. Winter Central FL RankingRainfall Rankings: (Rainfall totals since December 1st)Daytona Beach: 0.69″ (-3.6″ below average) 3rd Driest WinterMelbourne: 0.95″ (-3.0″ below average) 3rd Driest WinterOrlando: 1.26″ (-0.2″ below average)Sanford: 0.64″ (-3.6″ below average) 3rd Driest WinterAs of today, we remain drought-free for the majority of Central Florida.

Australia has sweltered through its fourth-hottest year on record despite the usually cooling impact in recent months of the La Nina climate pattern, the nations weather bureau said on Friday, Jan. 8, 2021. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft,File)CANBERRA – Australia sweltered through its fourth-hottest year on record last year despite the recent return of the usually cooling La Nina climate pattern, the nation’s weather bureau said on Friday. La Nina, the cooler flipside of the better known El Nino, was declared in the Pacific Ocean in September. La Nina occurs when equatorial trade winds become stronger, changing ocean surface currents and drawing up cooler deep water. The hottest temperature in Australia for 2020 was 48.9 degrees Celsius (120 degrees Fahrenheit) recorded at the height of the wildfire emergency at Penrith in New South Wales state on Jan. 4.

As the new year began, the long-term outlook for the rest of winter in the Chicago area was not so bad. A La Nina system of cooler temperatures in the east Pacific was expected to continue the mild pattern seen in the fall, with slightly above average temperatures, but also a chance of slightly greater than normal precipitation.

Two-thirds of the United States should get a warmer than normal winter, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicted. Only Washington, northern Idaho, Montana, the Dakotas and northwestern Minnesota, will get a colder than normal winter, forecasters said. The rest of the nation will likely be closer to normal, NOAA said. Judah Cohen, a winter weather specialist for the private firm Atmospheric Environmental Research, sees a harsher winter for the Northeast than NOAA does. But he said La Nina is the strongest indicator among several for what drives winter weather.

When talking about winter in Florida, it’s not so much about the cold and snow, but the impact it may have on the dry season. Typically in Florida, during a La Nina winter, the season is warmer and drier than normal. For an in-depth look at what La Nina is and how it typically impacts us in Central Florida, click here. La Nina influence is reflected on NOAA’s winter outlook that was released Thursday. Winter forecast from NOAA 2020-2021NOAA’s forecast gives a very high probability of the upcoming winter being drier and warmer than normal.

ORLANDO, Fla. – Thursday, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration officially declared that La Nina conditions are present. La Nina typically favors an active Atlantic basin during hurricane season, much like we’re seeing now. It had grown increasingly likely over the past few months that La Nina conditions would be around during the peak of hurricane season. This was one of the main factors in the much above average forecasts leading up to and during the current hurricane season. To be classified as a La Nina, sea surface temperature anomalies must greater than or equal to -0.5 degrees celsius.

ORLANDO, Fla. The two words you dont want to hear during hurricane season is La and Nina. On Thursday, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued a La-Nina watch, meaning conditions are favorable for the development of La-Nina over the next six months. La Nina is a seasonal ocean/atmospheric pattern that develops in the tropical Pacific. During hurricane season, the phase ENSO is in can strongly impact tropical development far away in the Atlantic Basin. The Early-July updated forecasts a higher chance for a full-blown La-Nina developing for the peak of hurricane season (SON).

The 2019 hurricane season was the fourth consecutive season with above normal storm activity. With early signs pointing to no El Nio this year, we may see the trend continue. The two patterns, both recurring phases of the El Nio -Southern Oscillation cycle, are more accommodating to Atlantic tropical cyclones than the cutting western gales that shred hurricanes during an El Nio event. NOAA hurricane forecast update: With death of El Nio, expect a more active storm seasonFebruary forecast models were leaning against an El Nio for the 2020 hurricane season. Still, having an El Nio or La Nia can skew the season to be under or overachieving.

The 2019 hurricane season was the fourth consecutive season with above normal storm activity. With early signs pointing to no El Nio this year, we may see the trend continue. The two patterns, both recurring phases of the El Nio -Southern Oscillation cycle, are more accommodating to Atlantic tropical cyclones than the cutting western gales that shred hurricanes during an El Nio event. NOAA hurricane forecast update: With death of El Nio, expect a more active storm seasonFebruary forecast models were leaning against an El Nio for the 2020 hurricane season. Still, having an El Nio or La Nia can skew the season to be under or overachieving.

The 2019 hurricane season was the fourth consecutive season with above normal storm activity. With early signs pointing to no El Nio this year, we may see the trend continue. The two patterns, both recurring phases of the El Nio -Southern Oscillation cycle, are more accommodating to Atlantic tropical cyclones than the cutting western gales that shred hurricanes during an El Nio event. NOAA hurricane forecast update: With death of El Nio, expect a more active storm seasonFebruary forecast models were leaning against an El Nio for the 2020 hurricane season. Still, having an El Nio or La Nia can skew the season to be under or overachieving.