"The latest trend was a series of atmospheric rivers hitting the Pacific Northwest, at the same time that a series of clipper systems were hitting the Great Lakes and Northern Plains. This has resulted in wet, but mild, weather in the Cascades and Northern Rockies, and cold, snowy weather across the Upper Midwest. At the same time, Utah, Colorado, and most of Wyoming have been dry and much warmer than normal."
"La Nina occurs when trade winds are stronger than normal, pushing warmer water west towards Asia, and forcing cold water to the surface off the coast of the US and Canada. This colder sea surface creates an area of high pressure off the coast of California and/or Baja California, and forces the jet stream further north around it. This results in more storms tracking across the Northern Rockies and the Great Lakes, while the Southwestern US gets left under a ridge of high pressure."
A recent pattern produced atmospheric rivers over the Pacific Northwest and clipper systems across the Great Lakes and Northern Plains, yielding wet, mild Cascades and cold, snowy Upper Midwest. Utah, Colorado, and most of Wyoming were dry and 10–20°F above normal with minimal precipitation south of the 40th parallel. La Nina strengthens trade winds, cools the eastern Pacific surface, builds high pressure off California, and shifts the jet stream northward, concentrating storms in the Northern Rockies and Great Lakes while leaving the Southwest under a ridge. La Nina is expected to continue into January before transitioning to ENSO-neutral between January and March.
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