La Niña Watch Issued, But Impacts in the Northwest May Be Limited

SEATTLE — The Climate Prediction Center has issued a La Niña Watch for the upcoming winter, but meteorologists say the signal is weak and may not bring the Pacific Northwest the classic La Niña weather pattern.

Forecasters expect a brief period of weak La Niña conditions this fall and early winter before the climate pattern reverts to neutral. La Niña, the counterpart to El Niño, is typically associated with cooler, wetter winters in the Northwest and drier, warmer conditions in the southern United States. But with only a faint signal developing, the National Weather Service in Seattle says the region may not see a clear influence on rainfall, snowfall, or storm activity this year.

Historically, La Niña winters have been mixed in the Northwest. The 2010–2011 La Niña brought heavy mountai