U.S. Winter Outlook Favors Cooler and Wetter North and Warmer, Drier South

NOAA forecast sees ongoing La Nina influencing winter weather as persistent drought dominates the Western landscape.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) winter forecast for the U.S. favors warmer, drier conditions across the southern tier of the U.S., and cooler, wetter conditions in the North, thanks in part to an ongoing La Nina. Forecasters at NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center — a division of the National Weather Service — are also closely monitoring persistent drought during the winter months ahead, with more than 45% of the continental U.S. now experiencing drought.

Winter precipitation, particularly snow and ice across the northern