La Niña arrives & will stick around - what that means for dry Southwest & hurricanes

[C C]

https://www.mercurynews.com/2021/10/15/l...urricanes/

EXCERPT: La Niña conditions — the opposite phase of El Niño — have emerged in the tropical Pacific Ocean over the past month, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Climate Prediction Center said Thursday. La Niña typically brings conditions that are wetter and cooler than average to the Pacific Northwest and northern Plains, especially during the winter.

In contrast, La Niña means drier and warmer-than-average conditions usually prevail in the South. This could mean the drought-stricken Southwest will likely stay drier. (La Niña also was present last winter and worsened the drought situation across the West and Southwest.)

The Southeast is also typically drier during a La Niña winter, though before the season starts, it increases the possibility for tropical weather, including hurricanes.

La Niña — translated from Spanish as “little girl”– is a natural ocean-atmospheric phenomenon marked by cooler-than-average sea surface temperatures across the central and eastern Pacific Ocean near the equator that consequently impact weather across the world.

“La Niña is anticipated to affect temperature and precipitation across the United States during the upcoming months,” the center said as it issued a La Niña advisory Thursday, predicting conditions are present and expected to remain.

[...] The prediction center put the odds near 90% that La Niña would be in place through the winter of 2021-2022. Both La Niña and El Niño occur every three to five years on average, according to NOAA... (MORE - missing details)

[Magical Realist]

I guess that means a wet and soggy winter for the Northwest. That's ok. All that missing water in the South has to go somewhere!

[Yazata]

I thought about posting this in the 'Weird' category, since there's water falling out of the sky!! (Don't tell the "skeptics" but it's true!) I have no idea how the water got up there. I've heard anecdotal reports of it happening in Oregon, but no Californian would believe anything that outlandish. We all know that Oregon is strange (Bigfoot and MR!).

We are experiencing a strong storm in northern California this Sunday (10-24-21). Heavy rain and gale warnings. I live right on the line between yellow and red on the map below, but haven't seen any flooding. It's conceivable that some road underpasses are flooded, but I haven't seen it. Wind is going pretty good and airports are experiencing delays. I'm thinking the wind may knock out power and my internet. Should be tapering off tomorrow (Monday) as the "atmospheric river" that's aimed at us like a fire hose shifts further south.

Edit - TV news is reporting widespread power outages around where I live, but my power is still up. Gusts up to 60 mph. Scattered flooding. Creeks and rivers rising but still in their banks. Many trees down. Lots of interest in Levi Stadium in Santa Clara where the 49ers and Colts are supposed to play Sunday night football tonight.

Hey, it's better than fires I guess.

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