CHICAGO (CBS) — The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) released its annual Winter Weather Outlook on Thursday. The forecast covers the meteorological winter from December 2024 to February 2025.

For the Chicago area, the outlook shows the potential for a wetter than normal winter with average temperatures expected.

Above-average precipitation is expected this winter due to the developing La Niña weather pattern.

“This winter, an emerging La Niña is expected to impact upcoming winter patterns, especially our precipitation forecasts,” said Jon Gottschalck, chief of the Climate Prediction Center’s Operational Prediction Branch.

La Niña occurs when cooler than average water temperatures are recorded near the equator in the eastern Pacific Ocean. This phenomenon is changing weather patterns worldwide, including here in Chicago.

La Niña positions the jet stream over the Great Lakes, creating a more active weather pattern. This leads to a wetter than average pattern for parts of the Midwest and Great Lakes, while most of the southern United States remains drier than average.

On average, Chicago receives about 38 inches of snow annually, with January historically being the snowiest month. Highs are normally in the low to mid 30s, lows in the teens and twenties, with January also being the coldest month.

NOAA considers December 1 to February 28 to be a ‘meteorological winter’ and therefore the forecast applies to this period.

“La Niña conditions in the tropical Pacific could play a role in weather patterns in North America this winter (leading to more storm systems in the central US). That said, ultimate seasonal snowfall and temperatures on a local basis will depend on storm tracks,” Chicago National Weather Service officials said.