COLLEGE PARK, Maryland - La Niña has returned for a second consecutive go-around this autumn and winter, and it could have a noticeable influence on seasonal weather patterns.

Water temperatures in the central Pacific Ocean dropped to 0.5 degrees Celsius below average (-0.9 degrees Fahrenheit) in the latest measurements by NOAA's National Climate Prediction Center, triggering a La Niña Advisory on Thursday.

What does a La Niña mean?

La Niña is part of a five-to-seven year cycle known as the El Niño Southern Oscillation, or ENSO, that is generated from a change in water temperatures in the central Pacific Ocean. When the waters cool below 0.5 degrees C of normal, it's considered La Niña, while being warmer than 0.5 degrees C is known as El Niño . When it's in between, it's c

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