CHICOPEE, Mass. (WWLP) – The weather pattern known as La Nina strengthened this fall and may have helped contribute to an extremely active hurricane season this year.
La Nina occurs when cooler than normal water builds up in the eastern Pacific Ocean near the equator. This past October NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center issued a La Nina Advisory as conditions continued to strengthen.
It is believed that this year’s La Nina may have contributed to a record hurricane season. La Nina can weaken wind shear over the Atlantic Basin, allowing storms to develop and intensify.
Forecasters now estimate a 95 percent chance La Nina may last through the winter with a 65 percent chance of it continuing through the spring.
There is no clear indication of what impact La Nina could have on our weather in New England this winter.
