The result? Drought and warmer air in southern states and cold, wet conditions in the Pacific Northwest. It is normal for the Knoxville area to see temperatures in the 30's and 40's during the winter months, according to the National Weather Service.

The long-promised La Niña climate pattern hasn't yet formed but is still expected to within the next month or so, federal scientists say. Specifically, the Climate Prediction Center said Thursday that there is a 60% chance that La Niña conditions will emerge by the end of November.

La Niña refers to the colder ocean waters off the coast of Peru that spark different weather activity for regions around the globe through the jet stream. Typically, La Niña brings colder temperatures and more precipitation to winters in the northern U.

Although there is no guarantee how this La Niña will play out, there are some general trends for how it could impact winter weather.