She’s back. La Niña, last winter’s dominant climate pattern, will recur. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s outlook for December through February indicates a La Niña winter for the second year in a row.
La Niña, Spanish for “the girl,” is characterized by unpredictable weather, according to experts, so don’t be surprised by mild temperatures early in the season. But make sure to keep snow boots, woolen gloves and snuggly scarves handy for a suburban cold snap during January and February.
“La Niña winters are known for pretty volatile temperatures,” said Ricky Castro, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Romeoville.
“That means our area is a battleground-type zone,” said Castro, explaining the upcoming season could consist of “episodes of substantially warm (weather) or really deep cold as well.”
To that end, Castro recalls last year which began with mild weather followed by five or six weeks of cold and snow from late January to mid-February.
“Any winter often has dueling periods of warm and cold,” said Castro. “The volatility of the temperature pattern in La Niña tends to be higher variability.”
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