what is la nina

La Niña is an oceanic and atmospheric phenomenon that is the colder counterpart of El Niño, as part of the broader El Niño–Southern Oscillation climate pattern. The name La Niña originates from Spanish for "the girl," by analogy to El Niño, meaning "the boy". During a La Niña period, the sea surface temperature across the eastern equatorial part of the central Pacific Ocean will be lower than normal by 3–5 °C (5.4–9 °F) . La Niña is characterized by unusually cold ocean temperatures in the Equatorial Pacific, compared to El Niño, which is characterized by unusually warm ocean temperatures. This phenomenon occurs as strong winds blow warm water at the oceans surface away from South America, across the Pacific Ocean towards Indonesia. As this warm water moves west, cold water from the deep sea rises to the surface near South America. La Niña can have global impacts on weather, wildfires, ecosystems, and economies, and it can lead to more severe hurricane seasons. In the U.S., winter temperatures are warmer than normal in the Southeast and cooler than normal in the Northwest during La Niña events. La Niña can also lead to drought in the southern U.S. and heavy rains and flooding in the Pacific Northwest and Canada. This climate pattern describes the cooling of surface-ocean water along the tropical west coast of South America.