28 NEBRASKA CATTLEMAN December 2025 PRODUCTION Winter Weather Outlook We are currently in a weak La Niña, which is expected to stick around for the winter. We also are still in a negative phase of Pacific Decadal Oscillation. The analogs I’m using for the upcoming season are based largely on this combination, though other factors and teleconnections may play an even bigger role for our sensible weather this coming winter. Siberian snow cover in the fall can have a big impact on the strength of the polar vortex, as one example. The Climate Prediction Center (CPC) outlook for the winter leans colder and wetter for much of northern Nebraska and shows no signal elsewhere. The European model shows a mild start to winter followed by colder temperatures in the back half of winter. Most global models tend to be a bit warm biased in winter outlooks for the north central United States when we are not influenced by a strong El Niño, so I always take the outlooks with a grain of salt. Nevertheless, it would be keeping with recent trends that we have a very mild start to winter before getting colder in the second half of winter. The analogs suggest that winter will be colder for Nebraska and the entire north central region with warmer temperatures in the Southeast. This is a classic La Niña signature with a stronger temperature gradient between north and south. Achieving these colder temperatures, however, will require a big pattern shift from what we have seen the last several weeks and what is projected into November. The area to watch will be Greenland. If upper-level atmospheric ridging is prominent there, that implies a negative phase North Atlantic Oscillation with more meridional (north-south) and less zonal (east-west) flow across North America. This north-south flow provides easier access to polar air. If there is also ridging set up in the North Pacific toward Alaska, the odds of colder temDEFEND OUR GRASSLANDS PREVENT AND REMOVE EASTERN REDCEDAR ----The Great Plains Grassland Initiative ---- VISIT YOUR LOCAL NRCS OFFICE OR A PARTNER BELOW FOR DETAILS. BEFORE AFTER Images courtesy of USDA-NRCS EASTERN REDCEDAR TREE REMOVAL Apply Now! USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender. © ®
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