La Nina has continued to persist over the past month, as reflected in the sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean falling sharply compared to average, the CPC said in a statement.
La Nina is part of the Southern - El Nino (abbreviated as ENSO) natural climate cycle. La Nina is marked by the phenomenon of colder-than-average sea levels.
These changes could have a huge impact on the global climate, increasing the likelihood of heavy rain, droughts, storms and many other extreme weather patterns. Specific impacts vary by region, even within the US.
Although it is considered a weak La Nina, US weather forecasters say that La Nina will still be the main factor influencing winter weather in the US this year.
The La Nina is expected to be strongest during the winter months, and this is also the main basis for the newly released winter forecast by the CPC, said Mr. Jon Gottschalck - Head of Forecasting Department of the CPC.
La Nina also increases Atlantic hurricane activity. However, this year's hurricane season is almost over, so the impact of La Nina on this aspect will not be significant.
According to the CPC's winter forecast, many southern states, along with California, much of the East Coast and Florida, are likely to experience a warmer-than-average winter. Meanwhile, the northwest Pacific and the Midwest - Ngu Dai Ho are likely to be colder than normal.
Regarding rainfall and snowfall, the Rockies and Ngu Dai Ho areas are forecast to have abundant rain and snow. Most southern states, especially the Southeast, will have a drier-than-average winter. This forecast applies to December 2025, January and February 2026, a period known as the meteorological winter.
According to AccuWeather's winter forecast, La Nina is also a key factor affecting the season's developments, said AccuWeather long-term meteorologist Paul pastelok.
He said La Nina will impact rain, snow and temperature trends across the US, but stressed that La Nina is quite weak this year, so many other ocean factors could influence the forecast.
One of them is the ocean heat wave covering much of the northern Pacific Ocean, stretching from Japan to the West Coast of the United States.
The overseas areas off the West Coast and beyond play a very important role in this years winter forecast, past past past past past this year.
Seasonal forecasts for El Nino and La Nina and their accompanying impacts on the weather are an important tool for grasping climate information. These forecasts help save millions of dollars in key sectors such as agriculture, energy, healthcare and transportation, while saving thousands of lives when used to proactively respond to and prevent risks, said Celeste Saulo, Secretary General of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).
