La Niña

American  

[lah nee-nyah] / lɑ ˈni njɑ /

noun

1. a cool ocean current that develops off the coast of Ecuador and Peru, sometimes following an El Niño but causing nearly the opposite extreme weather conditions.

---

La Niña British  

/ læ ˈniːnjə /

noun

1. meteorol a cooling of the eastern tropical Pacific, occurring in certain years

---

La Niña Scientific  

/ länēn′yä /

1. A cooling of the surface water of the eastern and central Pacific Ocean, occurring somewhat less frequently than El Niño events but causing similar, generally opposite disruptions to global weather patterns. La Niña conditions occur when the Pacific trade winds blow more strongly than usual, pushing the sun-warmed surface water farther west and increasing the upwelling of cold water in the eastern regions. Together with the atmospheric effects of the related southern oscillation, the cooler water brings drought to western South America and heavy rains to eastern Australia and Indonesia.

2. Compare El Niño

---

Etymology

Origin of La Niña

First recorded in 1985–90; from Spanish: literally, “the female child”; patterned after El Niño ( def. )

Example Sentences

During La Niña, the sea surface temperatures of the central and eastern Pacific Ocean cool — the opposite of the El Niño trend.

From Los Angeles Times • May 14, 2026

As it turns out, El Niño and La Niña aren’t the only players in determining how much rain and snow fall over Southern California.

From Los Angeles Times • May 14, 2026

The decline last year partly reflects an easing of the unprecedented fires of 2024, helped by cooler La Niña conditions instead of the warmer El Niño.

From BBC • Apr. 29, 2026

However some evidence suggests that both strong El Niño and La Niña events may be increasing in frequency and strength, external.

From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026

Its head reaches the cliff of La Niña just as the moon has sunk behind the snowy summit of the Sierra Blanca.

From The White Chief A Legend of Northern Mexico by Evans, L.