Arizonans looking forward to cooler winter weather may be disappointed this season, as the National Weather Service said it predicts drier and warmer-than-normal conditions in the Southwest.

Every season, the Climate Prediction Center, part of the National Weather Service, issues nationwide outlooks based on several climatological observations, overarching trends and computerized models.

This winter's La Niña event , a climate pattern triggered by cooler Pacific waters, heavily influenced the winter outlook affecting Arizona.

"A northerly shift in the storm track during the winter months often accompanies La Niña events, so the southern tier of the country is forecast to be warmer and drier than normal," said Jon Gottschalck, chief of the operational prediction branch of the Climate

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