After an unusually long wait, La Niña is finally here!
La Niña is one of nature’s most powerful forces, creating climates of cooler temperatures and above-average rainfall in the United States and around the world. It is caused by the warming of surface ocean water temperatures in the south central Pacific Ocean near the equator. La Niña alternates with its counterpart, El Niño — a warm ocean phenomenon that causes dryness and produces heat waves and drought.
Although La Niña has been around for thousands of years, the past three years have seen a greater-than-normal period between El Niño and La Niña. This has caused a weather pattern that often confuses meteorologists, farmers, and forecasters. However, after much anticipation and speculation, La Niña is finally on the horizon and is expected to last until spring 2021.
This is welcome news for the world’s farmers and other agricultural industries, as La Niña brings increased rainfall that can help crops flourish. In the US, La Niña is also likely to bring more snow and rain to the Southwest, Midwest, and Northeast regions. Warmer temperatures are expected in the southern US and higher temperatures in the Southwest and Midwest.
For aquatic ecosystems, La Niña will bring more ocean upwelling — a process in which deep, cold water rises to the surface. This can be beneficial for seafood populations and is often cited as a key factor in the return of great whites to the waters of the Atlantic.
In general, La Niña can also mean improved air quality in some parts of the world due to increased rainfall and lower temperatures. Crops require water and cooler temperatures to flourish, and many animals depend on rainfall for sustenance.
Overall, the arrival of La Niña is something we can all celebrate. After three long years of El Niño, the cooler, wetter climate that La Niña brings with it could have positive impacts on global food production, air quality, and marine ecosystems. So take a minute to give a shot out to La Niña—she’ll likely be around until spring of 2021!
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