By: Tracy Bloom KTTV
Posted: Feb 15, 2022 / 03:16 PM PST / Updated: Feb 15, 2022 / 03:27 PM PST
La Nina may persist well into 2022. (NOAA via AP)
La Nina may persist well into 2022. (NOAA via AP)
La Niña is expected to stick around for at least a little while longer, with the transition back to neutral conditions most likely not taking place until at least later in spring.
That’s according to the latest forecast from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Climate Prediction Center forecast, which was released late last week.
NOAA says there’s an approximately 77% chance that La Niña conditions will linger between March and May. Forecasters also favor the transition back to neutral occurring from June to August, giving that a 57% chance.
This is the second consecutive winter with a La Niña event, which unfortunately for drought-stricken Southern California usually means below-average precipitation for the region during its traditionally wettest months. That’s what happened in the Golden State last year, which was among the driest ever recorded.
The winter got off to a promising start with a series of powerful storms that replenished the ever-important Sierra Nevada snowpack and improved California’s overall drought outlook. But January and February have been largely bone dry for the state — though heavy rain hit parts of the Southland Tuesday — and the snowpack is once again below normal for this time of year.
