La Niña is usually associated with drier conditions across the southern part of the U.S. and wetter conditions to the north.

NOAA's Climate Prediction Center (CPC) announced Thursday that water temperatures in critical parts of the Pacific Ocean had finally reached the threshold required for La Niña to emerge in December.

Climate change is supercharging these weather cycles, which are now causing a lot more damage than they used to.

The pattern had been predicted to form for several months, and weak La Niña conditions were finally officially met this week.

2024's extreme weather—droughts, floods, and hurricanes—shows the need for better preparation and resilience towards climate change.

La Niña/El Niño are phases in the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) climate pattern which has a domino effect on the average jet stream position through the United States. Colder than average ...