It’s official: Colorado will experience its THIRD La Niña winter in a row, a rare and virtually unseen occurrence in the Centennial State. What exactly does this mean, and what does the La Niña entail? We have the details (including why you shouldn’t need to invest in a new coat):

According to the National Weather Service and its recently released El Nino/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) Diagnostic Discussion, "La Niña is expected to continue, with chances for La Niña gradually decreasing from 86% in the coming season to 60% during December-February 2022-23."
Wikimedia Commons/Fred the Oyster
As per their data, La Niña typically brings cold and stormy temperatures to the north, and drier conditions to the south, meaning the southern sections of Colorado may have a drier winter, but our neighbors to the north (specifically northwest) may see more snow than usual.
Wikimedia Commons/NASA
What exactly is a La Niña? The La Niña is a weather pattern that begins in the Pacific Ocean and causes ocean surface temperatures to continue to cool, creating warmer than average winters in the south and colder than normal winters in the north.
Flickr/GD Taber

Related Stories

The Garden Christmas Lights Display At Denver Botanic Gardens In Colorado Is Pure Holiday Magic

The Garden Christmas Lights Display At Denver Botanic Gardens In Colorado Is Pure Holiday Magic

 The Garden Christmas Light Displays At The Gardens On Spring Creek In Colorado Is Pure Holiday Magic

The Garden Christmas Light Displays At The Gardens On Spring Creek In Colorado Is Pure Holiday Magic

 8 Christmas Light Displays In Colorado That Are Pure Magic

8 Christmas Light Displays In Colorado That Are Pure Magic
In addition to temperature changes, a La Niña weather pattern can bring more destructive storms in the spring and summer, including thunderstorms and tornadoes.
Flickr/Bryce Bradford
What makes a third La Niña in a row so rare? Historically, the pattern occurs every three to five years and not consecutively.
Wikimedia Commons/NOAA
To learn more about the La Nina weather pattern as well as other upcoming predictions about Colorado, please visit the NOAA website.
Flickr/y_egan

Do you have something that you would like to see featured on Only in Colorado? Nominate it here! Don’t want to think about winter just yet? Then check out This Epic One-Day Road Trip Across Colorado Is Full Of Adventures From Sunrise To Sunset.

OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

Related Articles

Explore Colorado

Featured Addresses
Colorado, USA