It's about that time of year where we start getting questions about what the upcoming winter season will look like.
Truth be told, predicting what will happen over an entire season, especially winter, isn't an exact science.
However, a big change in the global pattern may give us a few hints about what to expect.
As of Sept. 10, meteorologists at the NOAA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, confirm a La Niña pattern is developing.
La Niña, which is Spanish for "the girl", is a normal oceanic-atmospheric oscillation signaled by slightly below-average temperatures over Pacific Ocean waters near the Equator.
This pattern is the opposite of an El Niño ("the boy"), where the Pacific Ocean water is slightly warmer than average.
Since the atmosphere is fluid, these cooler water temperatures can cause the polar jet stream to become a bit more amplified over North America.
It can contribute to increased tropical activity over the Atlantic Basin, allowing more storms to develop and intensify, much like what we've seen over the last few weeks.
"It's called a teleconnection," said Dr. Justin Glisan, the State Climatologist for Iowa. "Far away behaviors affects the atmospheric behavior in the United States."
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