Agriculture is focused on La Niña impacts on U.S. summer weather for crops, and the energy industry is looking ahead to what the winter months may have in store. But will La Niña give us insight as far ahead as 2019?
The cool phase of La Niña is expected to begin in a few weeks, according to Reuters, and history shows La Niña is often slow to leave.
The typical lifespan of a La Niña event is roughly one year, three months longer than that of El Niño.
Cooler-than-average Pacific Ocean surface temperatures can last for well over two years at a time. The strength of the event—when waters get cold enough to turn into a La Niña phase—can lend clues to its possible course.
According to Reuters, the possibility that Pacific sea temperatures could be cooler than normal over the next couple of years could change more than the short-term climate. It could affect the atmosphere within commodity markets.