NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center issued their latest ENSO outlook today. It shows that there is a 91% chance that the current La Nina will last through fall, and a 54% chance that it will last through March 2023. Typically, a La Nina winter in the Southeast means an increased likelihood of warmer than normal temperatures and drier than usual precipitation, especially in areas in southern Alabama and Georgia and into Florida. However, this is a statistical likelihood, so there is a chance that we might see conditions that are not typical, especially if there is another climate event like a Sudden Stratospheric Warming that affects our region, similar to the one that hit the central US down into Texas in February 2021. If we have a typical La Nina winter, the warm conditions could lead to more overwintering of diseases and pests as well as dry soils in spring, so farmers should take that into account in their planning for next year.