Meteorologists don’t know what to expect from this year’s La Niña pattern

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah forecasters are still figuring out what a La Niña pattern means this winter. However, current models show that half the state could have above-average moisture, and the other half could be dry.

According to the National Ocean Service, a La Niña pattern is “a cold event” that blows into Utah from the Pacific Ocean.

Utah is in an awkward spot with this year’s La Niña pattern. The state lies right between the cooler and wetter-than-average temperatures in Idaho and Wyoming and the warmer and drier-than-average temperatures expected in Arizona and Nevada.

“We live just like right in that middle [area] … where it could go either way,” said David Church, a science and operations officer with the National Weather Service.

Due to this, northern and southern Utah could have very different winters.

“La Niña sets us up for leaning slightly above average in the north and leaning slightly below average in the south,” Church said. “The reality is that really we’ve seen a wide range of outcomes from winters like this.”

He said even if the trend leads toward a drier winter, most of our snowpack should make it to the reservoirs, keeping us out of major drought conditions.

Devin Oldroyd contributed to this story.

Allessandra Harris-Gurr is a reporter for KSL NewsRadio.