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La Niña Ends Abruptly, Leaving Earth in Neutral Climate Phase

The short-lived La Niña lasted only three months, transitioning to a neutral ENSO state expected to persist through 2025, complicating weather forecasts globally.

La Niña, when it's active, influences weather patterns around the globe.
Visitors enjoy springlike weather in the quad outside the Montgomery Barracks in the Presidio in San Francisco on Feb. 20.
FILE - Jean Chatelier walks through a flooded street from Hurricane Irma after retrieving his uniform from his house to return to work today at a supermarket in Fort Myers, Fla., Sept. 12, 2017. (AP Photo/David Goldman, File)
Temperatures are expected to be above normal for much of the US through June.

Overview

  • La Niña, a natural cooling phenomenon, officially ended in April 2025 after a weak three-month duration, according to NOAA.
  • Earth has now entered a neutral phase in the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) cycle, forecast to last through the remainder of the year.
  • The absence of La Niña or El Niño complicates seasonal weather predictions, particularly for the upcoming Atlantic hurricane season starting in June.
  • Residual atmospheric effects of La Niña may linger, though their extent and duration remain uncertain, according to climate experts.
  • High global ocean temperatures, driven by past strong El Niño events and ongoing fossil fuel emissions, continue to influence climate dynamics and weather patterns.