Pennsylvania could see a warmer, wetter winter this year, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
NOAA’s forecast report for January, February and March of 2025 says there is a near 50/50 chance that Pennsylvania is leaning toward being warmer than usual.
Precipitation on the other hand, in the form of rain, sleet or snow is also leaning above average for most of the Keystone state.
La Niña conditions are strongly expected throughout the country and are predicted to drive the weather pattern this winter. The U.S. forecast says there is a 71% chance that La Niña could emerge from September through November and continue through March of 2025.
Here’s what La Niña means for Pennsylvania and the fall forecast.
What is La Niña?
La Niña events are the periodic cooling of ocean surface temperatures in the central and east-central equatorial Pacific, according to the National Weather Service . This period usually happens every 3 to 5 years but can also pop up on occasion. Last year , the U.S. dealt with El Niño conditions, which are the opposite of La Niña, meaning the ocean warms to above-average sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean.