La Niña will likely return, but what that means for Colorado's snow is still a coin flip

Winter is coming fast to Colorado's mountains, and meteorologists and climatologists say a La Niña pattern could shape how much snow we'll see -- especially in the northern ranges.

La Niña happens when ocean waters along the equator in the Pacific cool down, shifting global weather patterns.

"What La Niña refers to is a sea surface temperature in the Pacific Ocean where you have cooler than normal waters off the coast of South America," Peter Goble, Assistant State Climatologist with Colorado State University explained.

That shift often strengthens the northern jet stream, meaning wetter, snowier conditions for the northern Rockies, from Steamboat Springs down toward Winter Park. But here's the catch: Colorado sits right in the middle of the country's weather tug of war, meaning the