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
The combination of a coming La Nina and an already warm ocean likely spells an active season, McNoldy said.
—
Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 27 Feb. 2024
More trending stories: → Texas to 'spring forward': When daylight saving time begins
→ TikTok star Keith Lee gives love to 'dopest restaurant' in Fort Worth
→ Why Texas should care about return of La Nina.
—David Montesino, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Feb. 2024
Then there were the prognostications of what a change in weather patterns from a La Nina to El Nino may mean for North Texas.
—David Montesino, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1 Feb. 2024
The team also reported similar levels of accuracy when evaluating two additional flood-prone regions, China’s Poyang Lake and Peru’s Lago La Nina.
—IEEE Spectrum, 7 Dec. 2023
The switch from La Nina in 2022 to El Nino conditions in 2023 will likely also have a major impact on water cycles around the world, the researchers said.
—Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 12 Oct. 2023
Last year, for the first time, bleaching occurred during rainy and cooler La Nina conditions, even while some corals were gaining ground.
—Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA TODAY, 17 Aug. 2023
This episode of La Nina left many parts of the world under extreme conditions, fatal for human life.
—Niharika Sharma, Quartz, 12 May 2023
Grasshopper outbreaks appear to get triggered by climate oscillations like La Nina and El Nino, according to Chelse Prather, an associate professor of environmental biology at the University of Dayton.
—Leia Larsen, The Salt Lake Tribune, 3 Aug. 2023
Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 27 Feb. 2024
More trending stories: → Texas to 'spring forward': When daylight saving time begins
→ TikTok star Keith Lee gives love to 'dopest restaurant' in Fort Worth
→ Why Texas should care about return of La Nina.
—David Montesino, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Feb. 2024
Then there were the prognostications of what a change in weather patterns from a La Nina to El Nino may mean for North Texas.
—David Montesino, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1 Feb. 2024
The team also reported similar levels of accuracy when evaluating two additional flood-prone regions, China’s Poyang Lake and Peru’s Lago La Nina.
—IEEE Spectrum, 7 Dec. 2023
The switch from La Nina in 2022 to El Nino conditions in 2023 will likely also have a major impact on water cycles around the world, the researchers said.
—Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 12 Oct. 2023
Last year, for the first time, bleaching occurred during rainy and cooler La Nina conditions, even while some corals were gaining ground.
—Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA TODAY, 17 Aug. 2023
This episode of La Nina left many parts of the world under extreme conditions, fatal for human life.
—Niharika Sharma, Quartz, 12 May 2023
Grasshopper outbreaks appear to get triggered by climate oscillations like La Nina and El Nino, according to Chelse Prather, an associate professor of environmental biology at the University of Dayton.
—Leia Larsen, The Salt Lake Tribune, 3 Aug. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'La Niña.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near La Niña
Cite this Entry
“La Niña.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/La%20Ni%C3%B1a. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
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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