If you’ve been following forecasts for the autumn and winter, you might have seen discussion of La Niña , a weather pattern that has something to do with the changing temperatures in the Pacific Ocean.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association has declared that La Niña conditions are officially underway . But both La Niña and El Niño are complicated, as are their effects on global weather patterns.

Known collectively as El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO), the climate phenomenon isn’t just about water temperature, according to Paul Pastelok, senior meteorologist with AccuWeather.

“First of all, when we talk about El Niño and La Niña, we’re looking at the water and its interaction with the upper levels of the atmosphere,” Pastelok said. “Someone always portrays it just to the

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