NOAA predicts warmer and drier than average winter for Florida

Climate forecasters with NOAA said the South will see drier than average conditions and warmer than average temperatures in the upcoming winter months (December 2022 - January 2023). NOAA's Climate Prediction Center said the overall climate in the U.S. and the ongoing drought in many places will once again be driven by a third consecutive winter of La Niña. “Drought conditions are now present across approximately 59% of the country, but parts of the Western U.S and southern Great Plains will continue to be the hardest hit this winter,” said Jon Gottschalck, chief, Operational Prediction Branch, NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center. “With the La Niña climate pattern still in place, drought conditions may also expand to the Gulf Coast.”