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La Niña returns to the Southwest, bringing a warm, dry winter to AZ

the phoenix skyline looking toward downtown
Getty Images
A skyline view of Phoenix.

Arizona and the greater Southwest are in for another warm and dry winter, thanks to the La Niña weather pattern.

This weather pattern, which is the counterpart to El Niño, adjusts the jetstream and causes storms in the Pacific Northwest — which has already been happening in Oregon and Washington during this winter season.

Temperatures will likely stay in the lower 80s, and Arizona will experience minimal rainfall due to the shifted jetstream.

ASU geographical sciences professor Randy Cerveny said this winter with minimal rainfall could cause an even more dangerous fire season as we head into the spring.

“I would anticipate this winter and into the spring, we’re gonna have a pretty nasty fire season. And that’s not only gonna be for us, but that’s gonna be for the entire southwest,” he said.

Cerveny also said that the La Niña pattern is likely to last for the next several winter seasons before we have a chance of seeing another El Niño that will bring wetter and cooler weather to the Southwest.

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Nate Engle was an intern and reporter for KJZZ from 2024 to 2025.