What is ‘triple-dip’ La Niña?

Meteorologists have predicted that a “triple-dip” La Niña is expected to occur through the remainder of 2022 and possibly into early 2023.

In an update on Thursday, the National Weather Service reported a 91 percent chance of La Niña conditions in the months of September through November, decreasing to 54 percent January through March of 2023. 

According to the Word Meteorological Organization (WMO), La Niña is a climate pattern caused by large-scale cooling of the ocean surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean. 

The current La Niña has spanned three consecutive northern hemisphere winters starting in September 2020, making this the century’s first “triple-dip“ La Niña, WMO said. 

La Niña is also the opposite of the widely-known El Niño, which only occurs when the Pacific Ocean water is higher than normal. 

The weather conditions will mean less rain and drier conditions this fall for most of the U.S.

WMO’s Secretary-General Petteri Taalas said the weather event is slowing the rise in temperatures around the globe, “but it will not halt or reverse the long-term warming trend.” 

Every state in the U.S., apart from those closer to the Canadian border, are expecting to see above-average temperatures forecast through the fall season. 

Another season of La Niña could spell trouble for California, which has suffered through intense, prolonged drought seasons in the past few years. 

States such as New York, Texas, Pennsylvania, Utah, and Colorado are also expected to see hotter than usual temperatures during the fall season. 

According to ABC News, La Niña has had a devastating impact outside the U.S., causing droughts in South America and eastern parts of Africa and floods in Asia.