Drought, fire risk to stay high during third La Niña winter

FILE - A lone pedestrian navigates Chicago's famed Loop in windy, falling snow and slushy street conditions Feb. 2, 2022. La Niña, a weather pattern characterized by cold ocean temperatures in the equatorial Pacific Ocean, is returning for a rare third winter, officials with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said. That means December, January and February are likely to bring drier than average conditions across the southern states and wetter than average weather for areas including the Great Lakes and Pacific Northwest. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast, File)

Drought, fire risk to stay high during third La Niña winter