Outlook calls for warm, dry days for South Fla.

A record-breaking hurricane season is heading into its home stretch, but has (so far) spared South Florida. Those good vibrations are expected to roll over into winter, according to the season outlook from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

That means warmer and drier days than normal in South Florida through the winter months thanks to LaNiña, the same weather pattern that has made the hurricane season so busy. La Niña years typically mean warm and dry winters in the

south and cold and wet in the north.

Before you start getting ready for beautiful winter days, remember that hurricane season ends on Nov. 30 and La Niña also means there’s a higher chance of late-season tropical storm activity in the Atlantic.

Although La Niña typically also brings drought conditions to Florida, 2020 has been more wet than normal because of tropical systems and cold fronts that stalled over the region, so the threat of drought is lower this year.

“There’s a lot of short- and long-term surpluses across the Southeast, including Florida,” said David Miskus, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service/climate prediction center.

Many parts of the country won’t be so lucky, with high risk of drought, according to theNOAAoutlook.

The lack of monsoons this year has meant conditions in the south west United States as west Texas, Colorado and Utah with “significant drought” in Nevada, and the Pacific northwest aswell as parts of the northeast, Ohio Valley,

Hawaii and Alaska.

“This is the most widespread drought we’ve seen in the continental U.S. since September 2013,” said Mike Halpert, deputy director of NOAA’s climate prediction center.

Meteorologists said La Niña formed in August and is expected to persist at least through winter. South Florida has strong La Niña indications, so chances are elevated for above-average temperatures and below-average rainfall this winter.

NOAA will have a more specific South Florida winterweather outlook later this month.