La Niña will dominate weather by year's end

Producers across the U.S. are probably quite familiar with the terms El Niño and La Niña, as seemingly every summer, at least a portion of the weather discussion through June and July revolves around these phrases. But what do they mean, and why do they impact summer weather across the U.S?

To start, let’s dive into what these terms are describing. El Niño and La Niña are the extreme phases of the ENSO cycle. The ENSO cycle, or El Niño-Southern Oscillation, is a recurring climate pattern that involves the temperature changes in waters of the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean.

The cycle doesn't have a set time frame, but generally lasts three to seven years before changing. When the cycles change, waters near the equatorial...