La Niña is coming, forecasters say.
Specifically, a La Niña is likely in the next couple of months, with a 71% chance between October and December, the Climate Prediction Center said on Sept. 11. With the forecast, the CPC also issued a "La Nina watch," which means conditions are favorable for the development of La Niña within the next six months.
The World Meteorological Organization, in a separate forecast released earlier this month, put the odds for a La Nina at 60%.
The shift could impact the tail end of the 2025 hurricane season, and also have an effect on fall and winter weather in the U.S.
La Niña is a part of a natural climate cycle officially known as El Niño – Southern Oscillation, called ENSO by scientists. The cycle swings between warmer and cooler seawater in a region along the equator in the tropical Pacific. La Niña is marked by cooler-than-average ocean water in the region.
