La Nina is the cool phase of the El Nino-Southern Oscillation, a naturally occurring global climate pattern that involves changes in wind and ocean temperatures in the Pacific and can cause extreme weather across the planet.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said it is predicting La Niña conditions to develop this winter, which will play a major role in upcoming weather patterns.

The average winter temperature for D.C. during a weak La Niña winter is 39.2 degrees. Which is one degree above the average winter temperature of 38.2 degrees. During a weak La Niña winter, D.C. has historically seen an average of 9.7 inches of snow. The average winter snowfall for D.C. is 13.7 inches.

La Niña, the cooler phase of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), can have significant impacts on global weather, especially during the winter months.

Although there is no guarantee how this La Niña will play out, there are some general trends for how it could impact winter weather.

The long-promised La Niña climate pattern hasn't yet formed but is still expected to within the next month or so, federal scientists say. Specifically, the Climate Prediction Center said Thursday that there is a 60% chance that La Niña conditions will emerge by the end of November.