La Niña set to bring colder than average winter

La Niña is returning for another winter, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and that means we’re likely to see another colder-than-average season here in northeast Wyoming.

While the majority of the continental United States is expected to experience temperatures up to 60% above normal, most of Wyoming will see normal temperatures for the season. Crook County, however, sits within a sweep of territory across the northern part of the nation, beginning in the Pacific northwest and traveling east to the northern Plains, that may see colder-than-average temperatures this season.

In Crook County, temperatures are expected to be an estimated 33% to 40% below average.

This area is not expected to see much of a departure from the norm in terms of precipitation. Unlike the western part of the state, which may receive up to 50% more precipitation than usual, NOAA says there’s an equal chance for Crook County to receive below-average, average or above-average amounts of snow this winter.

Consequently, the winter months are not expected to have much of an impact on local drought conditions. If NOAA’s predictions hold true, the drought in Crook County will continue or worsen over the season.

These conditions, according to NOAA, are consistent with typical La Niña behavior during winter months. La Niña is an oceanic and atmospheric phenomenon that causes sea surface temperatures to be lower than normal and has extensive weather effects across the planet, especially in North America.

La Niña also occurred last winter, which NOAA says is not unusual – unlike El Niño, its warmer counterpart, it’s fairly common for La Niña to “double dip.”