La Nina will affect southwest into early Spring of 2011

PHOENIX - The Valley received close to five inches of rain during the winter months of December through March.

While in the high country, El Nino delivered to Flagstaff a little more than 12 feet of snow, making it the snowiest winter in more than a decade.

El Nino is defined as warmer than normal sea-surface temperatures in the tropical Pacific Ocean that impacts global weather patterns. For the desert southwest, it usually means a wet winter. That's not the case with La Nina.

La Nina will affect the southwest into early Spring of 2011 which is not good news. In terms of strength, this La Nina is unlike any other.

We have never had a "wet" strong La Nina in more than 80 years. With a drier-than-normal monsoon season behind us and little rainfall over the last two months, this could spell trouble heading into the upcoming dry season.

So far this season, it's pretty much played out to the script of a drier and warmer-than-normal winter with little change on the horizon.

Stay with the entire ABC15 weather team as we track this winter's La Nina, and as always we are keeping you and your family safe and ahead of the storm.