Hurricane Erin Moving Away from the North Carolina Coast, Dangerous Surf & Rip Currents Continue; Hazardous Heat out West

Tropical storm conditions, storm surge flooding and coastal flooding continue today across the Outer Banks and portions of the Mid-Atlantic coast. Life-threatening rip currents and high surf continue to impact much of the East Coast through the end of the week. Hazardous, record heat will continue across the Western U.S. through the weekend. Read More >

La Niña conditions have developed in the tropical Pacific and are expected to persist through the winter. As a result, a La Niña Advisory has been issued.

La Nina Advisory terms

La Nina Advisory criteria

Below is a map of the typical effect La Niña has on the November-March temperatures in the United States. The yellow and orange colors indicate areas where temperatures often average warmer than normal during a La Niña winter:

La Nina temperature anomalies

Here is a map showing the typical effect La Niña has on November-March precipitation. The blue and green colors in the Ohio Valley indicate a tendency toward wetter than normal conditions:

La Nina precipitation anomalies

It is important to remember:

The influence of La Niña on the Ohio Valley is not very strong
Every La Niña is different, and not all La Niña winters behave the same way
The strength of the La Niña may make a difference in how it affects our weather both in terms of precipitation and temperature
There are myriad factors that work together to result in the weather we experience -- La Niña is just one of them

For more information click on the links below: