Federal scientists on Thursday announced that La Niña — the phenomenon where Pacific Ocean waters off South America are cooler than normal — has officially begun and is likely to continue into winter.

From social media to coffee shops and even some TV weather reports, a common claim is that La Niña means a dry winter is coming for California, and in years when the opposite occurs, El Niño, a wet winter is on the way.

But don’t fret just yet about water shortages, brown lawns, and wildfires. The reality, history shows, is that a lot depends on where you live.

“You have to look at the data. Get past the hype,” said Jan Null, a meteorologist with Golden Gate Weather Services in Half Moon Bay. “There’s no guarantee of a dry winter or a wet winter, only that there will be winter.”

Null, a f

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