La Niña
noun
La Ni·ña
lä-ˈnē-nyə 
-nyä
-nyä
plural La Niñas
: an irregularly recurring upwelling of unusually cold water to the ocean surface along the western coast of South America that often occurs following an El Niño and that disrupts typical regional and global weather patterns especially in a manner opposite to that of El Niño
Examples of La Niña in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
There is no end in sight for this pattern -- this is a classic La Nina pattern, and this is a La Nina winter.
—
Max Golembo, ABC News, 13 Dec. 2025
And the storm-brewing conditions are still there --- warmer ocean waters and a cool La Nina weather pattern that results in weaker vertical wind shear needed to cut down storm winds.
—Cbs Miami Team, CBS News, 25 Nov. 2025
The other scenario suggests that the ongoing La Nina—although marked by cooler-than-average Pacific waters—will remain the primary driver of more typical winter weather.
—Amanda Greenwood, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Nov. 2025
Earlier this month, coffee prices rose after the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration declared that La Nina conditions had formed.
—Preston Fore, Fortune, 25 Oct. 2025
However, the weather and climate impacts that result from La Nina can certainly be dangerous.
—Doyle Rice, USA Today, 21 Oct. 2025
The upcoming La Nina looks to be on the weaker end of the spectrum, which could also affect how clear-cut its influence becomes.
—Mary Gilbert, CNN Money, 27 Aug. 2025
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Max Golembo, ABC News, 13 Dec. 2025
And the storm-brewing conditions are still there --- warmer ocean waters and a cool La Nina weather pattern that results in weaker vertical wind shear needed to cut down storm winds.
—Cbs Miami Team, CBS News, 25 Nov. 2025
The other scenario suggests that the ongoing La Nina—although marked by cooler-than-average Pacific waters—will remain the primary driver of more typical winter weather.
—Amanda Greenwood, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Nov. 2025
Earlier this month, coffee prices rose after the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration declared that La Nina conditions had formed.
—Preston Fore, Fortune, 25 Oct. 2025
However, the weather and climate impacts that result from La Nina can certainly be dangerous.
—Doyle Rice, USA Today, 21 Oct. 2025
The upcoming La Nina looks to be on the weaker end of the spectrum, which could also affect how clear-cut its influence becomes.
—Mary Gilbert, CNN Money, 27 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“La Niña.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/La%20Ni%C3%B1a. Accessed 7 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
La Niña
noun
La Ni·ña
lä-ˈnē-nyə
-nyä
-nyä
: an irregularly occurring movement of deep cold water to the ocean surface along the western coast of South America that often occurs after an El Niño and that disrupts weather patterns especially in a manner opposite that of an El Niño
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