WEATHER OUTLOOK Fall, Winter and Spring Outlook Hinges Upon Another La Niña
drought as well as sharply cold conditions during the winter for the central U.S.
By Matt Makens, Atmospheric Scientist
Although last year will be looked at, I believe 2013 and 2017 are stronger candidates as similar years to what we should expect this go-round.
La Niña will spread its impact across the country for the second year in a row leaving the West in dire need of water. Ocean conditions point toward continued drought for the western U.S. as another La Niña event is expected this fall, winter and spring. La Niña, and its counterpart El Niño, get a lot of attention this time of the year, and for a good reason. Both create recognizable weather patterns across the globe.
These analogous years show similar ocean and atmosphere conditions, and therefore, are the historical basis for which to build this outlook. In this case, the combination of the most similar years yielded the following results for wet (green) and dry (orange) areas from September through May.
The fall through spring 2021-2022 forecast will jog your memory on La Niña years of the past, most recently last year, which recorded a rapid intensification of the western and northern U.S.
Temperatures took on the following combined look of those analogous years with cooler than average areas in blue and warmer areas in red.
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NATIONAL CATTLEMEN
DIRECTIONS 2021
