It's official now: After a five-month respite of neutral conditions, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says the second La Niña in two years is here — and it's already influencing our weather.
"We’ve already seen one likely effect of La Niña this year — a more active Atlantic hurricane season, with nearly twice as many storms as average so far," according to Emily Becker, a climate prediction expert and lead author of NOAA's ENSO Blog. "But the most substantial La Niña effect on North American rain, snow, and temperature happens during winter."