La Nina Forecast to Fade by April, Easing California Drought
- Pacific has 71% chance of returning to normal early next year
- La Nina’s end could help crops in California and Argentina
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The odds that the drought-enhancing La Nina will fade by the end of California’s rainy season are rising, offering some hope of an easing of parched conditions across the US West.
The Pacific Ocean has a 71% chance of returning to normal temperatures between February and April, bringing an end the La Nina weather pattern that has persisted for three years, the Climate Prediction Center said in a Thursday forecast. La Nina has dominated global weather, prompting mild winters across the US South, drought in the West and parched crops in parts of Argentina and Brazil.