La Nina will likely lead to dry and warm winter, forecasters say

""During a typical La Niña winter, the jet stream tends to be a bit farther to the north," said National Weather Service meteorologist Robert Molleda."

""That means that the cold fronts that move into the southeastern U.S. and Florida during the winter tend to have less moisture associated with them.""

""The last 10 winters have been well above normal temperatures, for the most part, across much of the Florida peninsula," said Molleda. "La Niña, based on past events, combined with trends, leads us toward warmer-than-normal winters, and a really dry season overall.""

A weak La Niña is expected to influence South Florida toward a generally warmer and drier winter. The jet stream typically shifts north during La Niña, causing winter storms to track well north of Florida and reducing moisture in cold fronts reaching the region. Drought conditions have returned across most of South Florida, excluding coastal areas, with November deficits of two to four inches in parts of Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties. Reduced storminess and fewer severe thunderstorms or tornadoes are likely, though occasional southward jet stream dips can still bring cold snaps and storms.

Read at Sun Sentinel