"La Nina" conditions are marked by cooler than normal waters in the Pacific Ocean near the equator. Those waters impact the jet stream, which impacts our weather.
Jaff Boyne, a forecaster with National Weather Service in La Crosse, says this is a "moderate to strong" La Nina. It's played a role in the snowy, cold winter and could delay the start of Spring. He says temperatures could climb more slowly this year, keeping conditions colder than normal. However, while the impact on temperatures can be predicted, it's harder to tell what effect there will be on precipitation.
This is our 15th La Nina since 1950. Boyne says the last was in 2001, which did bring about a fairly cool spring.
And as the old Wisconsin saying goes: If you don't like the weather, stick around, it will change. Boyne says Mother Nature has a way of evening things out. He says this summer could end up being much hotter and drier than usual.
