La Niña

[ lah nee-nyah ]

noun

1. a cool ocean current that develops off the coast of Ecuador and Peru, sometimes following an El Niño but causing nearly the opposite extreme weather conditions.

La Niña

/ læ ˈniːnjə /

noun

1. meteorol a cooling of the eastern tropical Pacific, occurring in certain years

La Niña

/ länēn′yä /

1. A cooling of the surface water of the eastern and central Pacific Ocean, occurring somewhat less frequently than El Niño events but causing similar, generally opposite disruptions to global weather patterns. La Niña conditions occur when the Pacific trade winds blow more strongly than usual, pushing the sun-warmed surface water farther west and increasing the upwelling of cold water in the eastern regions. Together with the atmospheric effects of the related southern oscillation , the cooler water brings drought to western South America and heavy rains to eastern Australia and Indonesia.
2. Compare El Niño

Word History and Origins

Origin of La Niña¹

First recorded in 1985–90; from Spanish: literally, “the female child”; patterned after El Niño ( def )

Word History and Origins

Origin of La Niña¹

C20: from Spanish: The Little Girl, to distinguish it from El Niño

Example Sentences

Since then, the ENSO has been largely stuck in neutral, shifting back and forth between weak El Niños and La Niña tendencies.

From Ars Technica

And, the World Meteorological Association predicts we’re heading into what’s known as a La Niña event.

From Voice of San Diego

Even if it takes second place, that is remarkable given the occurrence of La Niña this year, which tends to lower temperatures, and the fact that 2016 was an El Niño year, when temperatures are generally warmer.

From Time

In fact, it was the warmest the oceans have ever been during a La Niña this strong.

From Popular-Science

The fact that this is true despite moderate La Niña conditions in the Pacific is notable, as those conditions bring cold, deep water up to the surface, which normally drags down the global average temperature.

From Ars Technica