The National Weather Service says the La Niña will not likely last past February. Iowa State Meteorologist Elwynn Taylor says, “That is long enough for a winter a lot like the one we had last year. This does not mean serious flooding as in the past spring, but it does include the risk of that as well. If it is gone by March, there would not be as much chance of extreme weather as in the past spring with its record tornadoes and flooding.”