A Look into Spring – February to April Outlook from NOAA

If you are ready for Spring, here’s a glimpse at what might be ahead. NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center (CPC) released their 90 day forecast covering February to April yesterday. Like previous outlooks, this one has a La Nina flavor to it – dry and warm in the South, cool and wet in the North.

The seasonal outlook for February through April has a #LaNina flavor with unseasonable cool/wet conditions forecast across much of the north, and dry/warm conditions anticipated for many southern areas. https://t.co/dfWJFLTXzj pic.twitter.com/EIhIz4I0Zj

— NWSCPC (@NWSCPC) January 18, 2018

With La Nina water temperatures being observed in the Pacific Ocean, the CPC states that the forecast was based heavily on weather trends normally seen during a La Nina. The atmospheric pattern also resembles La Nina conditions, further supporting these thoughts. Model guidance and global trends in the atmosphere were also considered.

During the next 3 months #drought is forecast to expand in parts of southern California, central Colorado, the southern Plains, and the Southeast. https://t.co/CPY78JXHKa pic.twitter.com/AFdhsrGzpS

— NWSCPC (@NWSCPC) January 18, 2018

La Nina (translated from Spanish as “little girl”) is a natural ocean-atmospheric phenomenon marked by cooler-than-average sea surface temperatures in the central Pacific Ocean near the equator. It’s the opposite of El Nino (“little boy”), which is when warmer than normal water temperatures are observed.

For WeatherNation: Meteorologist Mace Michaels