Winter in SoCal always carries a bit of suspense. Ocean currents shift, the Pacific heats and cools in patches, and global climate patterns quietly steer the season long before the first raindrop hits L.A. This year, the story begins with the ocean again, but it doesn’t end there….
According to federal forecasters, a weak La Niña is expected to shape the winter across the country and that includes California, of course. The Climate Prediction Center explains that cooler-than-average waters in the eastern Pacific tend to tilt the season toward warmer and drier, conditions in the southern tier of the country, affecting SoCal.
On the same note, NOAA’s winter outlook highlights above-normal temperatures and below-normal precipitation as the most likely scenario for the region.
But La Niña isn’t the whole story, as a marine heat wave, stretching across the northern Pacific, could amplify warmth and limit storms even further. AccuWeather notes that these unusually warm waters can disrupt winter patterns and create longer dry spells, only occasionally broken by sharper, more intense storms.