The wild weather phenomenon known as La Nina will have an unpredictable effect on the Canadian winter this year, according to an Environmental Canada climatologist.
La Nina, which means 'little girl' in Spanish, triggers a cooling of surface water temperatures in the Pacific. This effect leads to changes in weather around the globe and can even trigger hurricanes in the Atlantic.
In Canada, the weather fluctuates in response to La Nina, but the effects, especially in Western Canada, tend to lean to colder and snowier conditions.
But this year, climatologists are unsure what effect the phenomenon will have on the Canadian winter.
"If it was La Nina, it was colder and snowier than normal winter, great for snowmobilers and people who like winter," climatologist David Phillips told CTV's Canada AM. "When the last La Nina came we said the same thing, 'It's going to be colder and snowier than normal.' But, my gosh, it was different."
That last incidence of La Nina occurred in Canada from 1998 through the year 2001. Through this time period Canada experienced winter conditions that were warmer than normal.
Phillips said that the reasons for the change were uncertain and said that climate change and global warming could be factors -- but no cause has been actually determined.
Phillips said it was part of an overall trend in the weather in the country where the weather is not necessarily following traditional patterns.
"Wild weather seems to be what you can count on," Phillips said. "Not what our grandparents and our teachers told us it was going to be like."
While Phillips said that many of the winters of the past 25 years have been warmer and drier than normal, this year could be different.
"If it goes back to the previous kinds of La Ninas, it might be a good old-fashioned Canadian winter," Phillips said.
