Every 2-7 years there are irregular weather events called La Niño or El Niño that result in specific weather conditions. In the winter season of 2020, there seems to be a La Niña that will most likely last until Spring 2021. 

These weather events occur because of changes in ocean temperatures that trigger a chain reaction in the climate, resulting in hotter or colder climate patterns in certain areas of the world. According to the National Ocean Service, “During a La Niña year, winter temperatures are warmer than normal in the Southeast and cooler than normal in the Northwest.”

But what does this bizarre phenomenon mean for Kansas City? Because it is in the center of the continental United States, La Niñas have had different effects on the city over the past decades. In 2010 and 2011, there was a La Niña that resulted in lower temperatures and more snowfall, but in the two  La Niñas in 1998 and 2000 the temperature was actually warmer, and there was less snowfall. These irregular temperatures were probably the result of storms that altered the weather. 

While we may not be able to determine the exact results of a La Niña this year, KSHB Kansas City stated that, “Clearly, no two La Niña events are alike, but more times than not, a La Niña winter for the Kansas City region produces normal or below-normal snowfall amounts and temperatures that are average, or even above normal.”

While La Niñas usually mean cold weather in most parts of the U.S, in Kansas City, it’s possible that we will receive higher temperatures and less snowfall this winter.