From the Summit County Citizens Voice:
The cyclical swing in Pacific Ocean sea surface temperatures could bring above-normal temperatures to much of the rest of U.S. in the next six to 12 months, with exception of the Pacific Northwest and the Southeast. For the southern Rockies, including Summit County, the statistical links between La Niña and temperature and precipitation records are not very clear, so don’t let anyone (especially the ski resort marketing departments) tell you that La Niña means killer dumps. Some records suggest that a strong La Niña does slightly increase the odds for decent snow in our area, but there are many other factors in play, including the positioning of the jet stream, which drives weather systems across the country…
La Niña often features drier than normal conditions in the Southwest in late summer through the subsequent winter. Drier than normal conditions also typically occur in the Central Plains in the fall and in the Southeast in the winter. In contrast, the Pacific Northwest is more likely to be wetter than normal in the late fall and early winter with the presence of a well-established La Niña. On average, La Niña winters are warmer than normal in the Southeast and colder than normal in the Northwest. La Niña conditions typically last approximately 9-12 months. Some episodes may persist for as long as two years.