On Tuesday morning, a few snowflakes began to fall in Central Indiana, giving the region a taste of winter.
The Climate Prediction Center now predicts that there will be a 75% possibility of a La Nina winter in the northern hemisphere in 2022–2023. Winter is just around the corner.
Winter in terms of the weather lasts from December through February. The 2022–2023 winter outlook from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has not yet been made public.
Over the Pacific Ocean, a blocking low develops according to typical La Nina winter patterns. This prevents jet streams from passing over the United States. Typically, this kind of trend sends more rain than typical to the Midwest, including Indiana. Depending on the year, the La Nina pattern is a little more intricate and could be more challenging. Central Indiana had very little snowfall last winter. However, we did finish with more precipitation than usual and warmer temps than usual. The regular La Nina tendency did not apply during the winter of 2020–21, and precipitation levels were below average.
NOAA’s official winter outlook is expected to be released at 11 a.m. Thursday. Their prediction may not match the La Nina pattern, but it remains to be determined.
