Go Back
  • For Business
  • |
  • Warnings
  • Data Suite
  • Newsletters
  • Advertising
  • Superior Accuracy™
Tropical trouble could stir near Southeast beaches around 4th of July. Get details Chevron right
4th of July forecast: Thunderstorms to focus over Upper Midwest, Plains and Florida. Chevron right

Columbus, OH

79°F
Location Chevron down
Location News Videos
Use Current Location
Recent

Columbus

Ohio

79°
No results found.
Try searching for a city, zip code or point of interest.
settings
Columbus, OH Weather
Today WinterCast Local {stormName} Tracker Hourly Daily Radar MinuteCast Monthly Air Quality Health & Activities

Around the Globe

Hurricane Tracker

Severe Weather

Radar & Maps

News

News & Features

Astronomy

Business

Climate

Health

Recreation

Sports

Travel

For Business

Warnings

Data Suite

Newsletters

Advertising

Superior Accuracy™

Video

Winter Center

AccuWeather Early Hurricane Center Top Stories Trending Today Astronomy Heat Climate Health Recreation In Memoriam Case Studies Blogs & Webinars

News / Climate

It's over: NOAA declares official end to La Nina

The triple dip La Niña that began in 2020 has come to an end, and AccuWeather forecasters say that it could be replaced by its warmer counterpart — El Niño.

By Bill Deger, AccuWeather senior meteorologist

Published Mar 9, 2023 4:13 PM EDT | Updated Mar 10, 2023 4:11 PM EDT

Copied
NOAA

NOAA's Climate Prediction Center (CPC) on Thursday declared an end to the long-lasting La Niña that began nearly three years ago, signaling that ocean temperatures in the equatorial Pacific were warming up.

The La Niña pattern, the colder counterpart of El Niño in the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) climate phenomenon, has influenced the weather across the Northern Hemisphere in a number of ways in recent years.

The unusually long-lasting nature of the phenomenon led to the unofficial nickname of a “triple-dip La Niña” as it persisted through three winter seasons. Conditions were first observed in the central Pacific in the three-month stretch from July through September 2020, and they continued nearly uninterrupted for 30 months. This is just shy of the La Niña from 1998 to 2001, which lasted 32 months, according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Dan Pydynowski.

La Niña occurs when the water temperatures in the eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean are at least 0.9 of a degree Fahrenheit (0.5 of a degree Celsius) below average over three months. Conversely, El Niño happens when the running average is 0.9 of a degree Fahrenheit (0.5 of a degree Celsius) or higher. Neutral conditions exist for any departure between those two temperature ranges.

While it may seem like such a small change in water temperature in one part of the world would have only a minimal impact elsewhere, it can significantly alter global wind patterns, which drive the development and movement of storm systems and moisture across the globe.

During La Niña, the southern United States tends to experience warmer and drier conditions than usual, while the northern U.S. can be wetter and colder. It can also lead to an above-average number of tropical storms and hurricanes in the Atlantic basin as it makes conditions more favorable for storm development. 

In 2020, a record-setting hurricane season unfolded in the Atlantic, with forecasters using more names to identify storms than ever before. Another above-normal season followed in 2021. However, the 2022 season produced 14 storms, which is around average.

The CPC is forecasting neutral conditions, neither La Niña nor El Niño, to continue through the spring months and into the early summer.

Since neutral conditions are expected for a few months, the effects that the ocean temperatures in the central Pacific have on the weather patterns globally will be diminished.

Later this summer or in the fall, El Niño conditions are forecast to emerge, according to AccuWeather's team of long-range forecasters. This, too, will have vast implications for weather patterns across the Northern Hemisphere for the second half of 2023 and beyond.

GET THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP

  •    Have the app? Unlock AccuWeather Alerts™ with Premium+

An El Niño tends to lead to wetter conditions than usual across the southern U.S. and warmer, drier conditions in the northern U.S. Stronger El Niños can amplify those effects, leading to destructive flooding in some areas and severe drought in others. Strong El Niños have recently been observed from 1997 into early 1998 and from 2015 into early 2016.

"Other ocean and weather patterns that extend over many years across parts of the Pacific can determine how strong an El Niño becomes," said AccuWeather Lead Long-Range Forecaster Paul Pastelok. "As of now, it appears the developing El Niño may not be a strong or even moderately strong one for the rest of the year."

One limiting factor as to why AccuWeather forecasters do not expect a rapid turn towards El Niño conditions in the equatorial Pacific is the lingering chilly waters across much of the eastern Pacific.

"The predominant flow along the West Coast can shove these cooler waters southward, limiting the warming potential in the equatorial Pacific," AccuWeather Meteorologist Brandon Buckingham said. "We do expect a neutral to gradual turn towards El Niño conditions through the spring and summer months, but again, this can be a gradual warmup rather than a sudden [increase]."

See Also:

5 things to know about the spring weather forecast in the US
'Unprecedented' 170 trillion-plus plastic particles found in the ocean
Man, 81, survives nearly a week stuck in snowbank on croissants, candy

Want next-level safety, ad-free? Unlock advanced, hyperlocal severe weather alerts when you subscribe to Premium+ on the AccuWeather app. AccuWeather Alerts™ are prompted by our expert meteorologists who monitor and analyze dangerous weather risks 24/7 to keep you and your family safer.

Report a Typo

Weather News

Recreation

Boulders narrowly miss swimmers at popular Utah waterfall

Jun. 27, 2025
Weather Forecasts

July 4 Forecast: Thunderstorms to focus over Upper Midwest and Florida

Jun. 30, 2025
Weather News

Girl, 8, rescued after 7 hours in flooded sewer in China

Jun. 27, 2025
Show more Show less Chevron down

Topics

AccuWeather Early

Hurricane Center

Top Stories

Trending Today

Astronomy

Heat

Climate

Health

Recreation

In Memoriam

Case Studies

Blogs & Webinars

Top Stories

Weather News

Severe thunderstorms to threaten central and eastern US

2 hours ago

Astronomy

July offers rare meteor shower combo, stunning views of the Milky Way

4 days ago

Weather News

Tropical trouble could stir near Southeast beaches around 4th of July

3 hours ago

Travel

A mother thought her baby was blown out of a plane

3 days ago

Weather News

Flights cancelled as Atlanta airport recovers from severe weather

1 day ago

More Stories

Featured Stories

Weather News

AccuWeather joins Perplexity to power AI weather answers

4 days ago

Travel

A mother thought her baby was blown out of a plane

3 days ago

Weather News

Fossil reveals ‘Last of Us’-type fungus likely lived with dinosaurs

5 days ago

Climate

Your AI prompts could have a hidden environmental cost

1 week ago

Weather News

World’s most liveable city for 2025 revealed

6 days ago

AccuWeather Climate It's over: NOAA declares official end to La Nina
Company
Proven Superior Accuracy About AccuWeather Digital Advertising Careers Press Contact Us
Products & Services
For Business For Partners For Advertising AccuWeather APIs AccuWeather Connect RealFeel® and RealFeel Shade™ Personal Weather Stations
Apps & Downloads
iPhone App Android App See all Apps & Downloads
Subscription Services
AccuWeather Premium AccuWeather Professional
More
AccuWeather Ready Business Health Hurricane Leisure and Recreation Severe Weather Space and Astronomy Sports Travel Weather News Winter Center
Company
Proven Superior Accuracy About AccuWeather Digital Advertising Careers Press Contact Us
Products & Services
For Business For Partners For Advertising AccuWeather APIs AccuWeather Connect RealFeel® and RealFeel Shade™ Personal Weather Stations
Apps & Downloads
iPhone App Android App See all Apps & Downloads
Subscription Services
AccuWeather Premium AccuWeather Professional
More
AccuWeather Ready Business Health Hurricane Leisure and Recreation Severe Weather Space and Astronomy Sports Travel Weather News Winter Center
© 2025 AccuWeather, Inc. "AccuWeather" and sun design are registered trademarks of AccuWeather, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Cookie Policy | About Your Privacy Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information

...

...

...