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La Nia, a climate pattern that can affect weather worldwide, has officially arrived. La Nia is fueled by colder-than-normal Pacific ocean temperatures, which then affect the pattern of the Pacific jet steam. Its the cooler counter to El Nio, which involves warmer-than-normal ocean waters. Both are part of a weather system called the El Nio-Southern Oscillation (ENSO). La Nia conditions emerged in September, the National Weather Services Climate Prediction Center said on Thursday. They’re expected to continue through the end of the year, and potentially until February 2026. This La Nia is expected to remain weak, weather experts said, but it could still affect the winter, and even the hurricane season. [Image: NOAA] What does La Nia mean for winter weather? During La Nia, cold waters push the Pacific jet stream northward, which creates a ripple effect on the atmosphere. That jet stream then dips back down, dividing the U.S. That then brings dry, warmer-than-usual conditions to southern states. Northern states see colder-than-normal temperatures and wetter conditions, particularly in the Pacific Northwest. La Nia winters tend to bring a lot of snow to the Pacific Northwest, and even across the Great Lakes and into New England. Southern states, by contrast, tend to see below-average snowfalls. [Image: NOAA] La Nia can also mean a more severe Atlantic hurricane season. So far this year, five tropical storms and four hurricanes have formed over the Atlantic, a bit below expectations. (On average, a hurricane season sees 18 topical storms.) But La Nia could bring more. “La Nia conditions are associated with more activity (double the amount) in November when compared to ENSO Neutral and especially when compared to Novembers with El Nio conditions, Matthew Rosencrans, lead hurricane seasonal forecaster with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), told USA Today. La Nia events can last one to three years, and a La Nia did span 2020 to 2023. The 2020 hurricane season saw the most tropical storms in the Atlantic ocean in any year on record, with 30 total. A weak La Nia, and whats next This La Nia is expected to be weak, experts say, but it could still alter our weather. A weak La Nia can also make it more difficult to predict that weather. A weak La Nia would be less likely to result in conventional winter impacts, though predictable signals could still influence the forecast guidance, per the Climate Prediction Center. 2024 saw a weak La Nia winter, but it still gave us typical La Nia impacts. Most of the southern U.S. and northern Mexico were predicted to be and turned out to be drier than average, with record-dry conditions in southern Arizona and parts of New Mexico, NOAA meteorologist Nat Johnson wrote last spring. Wetter conditions were forecasted and did prevail over the northern part of the continent, particularly in Alaska and parts of the Pacific Northwest. In some instances, though, the reality differed from forecasts, like when a ribbon of wetter-than-expected weather hit Texas, Arkansas, Kentucky, and western Virginia. Despite these regional differences from expectations, Johnson wrote, the big picture was pretty La Nia-ish overall. La Nia and El Nio arent always active. These events typically happen every two to seven years, on average. The ENSO cycle is a break in normal wind and water patterns, and weather experts say well likely see a transition to ENSO-neutral conditions this spring.
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For many high-impact runners, it fels like Mom and Dad are fighting. Strava, the popular fitness-tracking app, is suing the fitness wearable giant Garmin over alleged patent infringement and breach of conduct. The lawsuit, filed Sept. 30 in a Colorado district court, alleges that Garmin is infringing on two patents segments and heatmaps and also broke a written agreement between the two companies, as first reported by DC Rainmaker. For many athletes, Strava and Garmin go together like Oakley sunglasses and On Running shoes. A trend report published last year by Strava showed that Garmins Forerunner was among the most popular smartwatches for its users. If you didn’t track your run on Garmin and upload it to Strava, did it even happen? Now with a number of big races coming up, including the Chicago and New York City marathons, athletes are not taking the recent news well. When Garmin is going to stop uploading data to Strava on November 1st and thats literally the date of your marathon youve been training for a big PR for, one running influencer posted on TikTok. “Have you see the news that Mom and Dad are fighting?” ultra-runner Andy Glaze said in another video. “I’m sitting here with my thousand-dollar watch and my $80 app and thinking, can we just get a family meeting and start getting along again?” Already, some are taking sides and pledging their loyalties to one or the other, or joking about giving up on running altogether now that they may not be able to easily track their runs and post for their followings to see. On Thursday, Matt Salazar, Stravas chief product officer, took to Reddit to defend the companys lawsuit. Setting the record straight he shared that Garmin was requiring their logo be displayed alongside all activity posts or they will cut off access permitting Garmin activities to be uploaded to Strava. “We consider this blatant advertising. These new guidelines actively degrade your user experience on Strava,” Salazar wrote. The post, however, was met with widespread criticism, with the most upvoted replies calling Stravas stance hypocritical at best. So how do I get rid of the Strava logo when I want to share my data on social media? one Reddit user asked. As a premium (paid) Strava member I want to be clear that Strava’s only of use to me if works with Garmin, another wrote. The moment Strava no longer syncs with Garmin connect is the last time I open Strava. Fast Company has reached out to Garmin and Strava for comment. So what happens now? Likely nothing. Its in neither companys interest to stop the steady flow of data from Garmin to Strava, as the online backlash to the news of the lawsuit has shown. For those planning to simply switch to another smartwatch, like Suunto, in case the integration between the two companies does end, bad news: The Finnish brand has launched its own lawsuit against Garmin for patent infringement. Maybe its a sign to go back to when every 5K didnt need to be posted on social media.
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Skyscanner, a leading global travel booking site, released its 2026 Travel Trends report on Thursday. And the forecast for the year ahead includes trips down the supermarket aisle, literary-inspired itineraries, in-flight beauty routines, and some surprising trending destinations (looking at you, New Haven). If travel in 2025 was about collective experiences, the new travel mindset for 2026 is clearits no longer solely about community connections, its about prioritizing travelers’ individual interests and passions. The report also looked at the role AI is likely to play in travel search and planning in 2026: 54% of travelers said they felt confident using AI to plan their trips in 2025’s survey, up from 47% in 2024. Skyscanner, a search engine for flights, car rentals, and hotels, based its global survey on data from 22,000 travelers. Below are 7 travel trends to look out for in 2026, according to the report. Vending machines over fancy restaurants For one, travelers are redefining food tourism beyond hard-to-get restaurant reservations. Instead, they’re visiting local supermarkets and convenience stores, trying Tokyo’s vending machines and 7-Eleven Slurpees, and picking up loaves of Icelands geothermal baked bread. 55% of U.S. travelers say they often, or always, visit local supermarkets when abroad. “Glowmads” In 2026, beauty travel will shape where people go and how they explore a destinationin the form of in-flight skincare routines, shopping for local beauty products at global destinations, and visiting retail shops from cult-favorites. 32% of travelers said they do beauty-related activities while traveling because they want to experience local beauty culture. In 2026, 32% of Gen Z plan to seek out beauty treatments and skincare stores while travelingcompared to just 8% of baby boomers. A room with a mountain view Travelers are heading up into the mountains year-round, not just for the ski season, in destinations such as the Dolomites, Nepal, and the Canadian Rockies. Some 80% of travelers polled said they are considering or planning a mountain escape for summer or fall next year. On Skyscanner’s platform, searches for room with a mountain view are up 103% year-over-year globally. Finding friends overseas People are longing for real-time connection with friends and in dating. 53% of travelers have gone, or considered going, overseas specifically to meet new people. Meanwhile, 42% said they are more open to meeting others when theyre traveling, and 29% said its because they feel freer to be themselves. And those travelers are looking to connect on a deep level: 28% said they want to meet people from different cultures/backgrounds, 18% want to make meaningful friendships, and 14% want to explore new destinations with a local. Literary travels People are traveling for destination reading retreats, to destination bookshops and libraries, and to travel the route of a beloved literary character. 55% of travelers said they have booked, or would consider, a trip inspired by literature. Multigenerational trips With more 20-somethings living at home, Gen Z and millennials are embracing multigenerational travel. In the past two years, 52% of Gen Z adults have traveled with their parents, while 25% of millennials have traveled with their children and parents. Hotel retreats More travelers are choosing where to go based on hotels, making the destination about where they stay: 56% of travelers picked a destination based purely on accommodation, including 65% of Gen Z, 70% of millennials, and 38% of baby boomers. Hottest destinations for 2026 Skyscanner also included a list of top 10 trending destinations for 2026, based on year-over-year increases in search: Limon, Costa Rica: +289% Jaipur, India: +107% Bodrum, Turkey: +85% Madeira, Portugal: +78% Vail, Colorado: +78% Zadar, Croatia: +72% Olbia, Italy: +64% New Haven, Connecticut: +39% Bilbao, Spain: +37% Mykonos, Greece: +32% Lesser-known leisure destinations are capturing the attention of U.S. travelers in 2026, said Lourdes Losada, Skyscanner’s director of Americas. Vacationers turn their attention to seaside escapes and gateways to natural landscapes. Many of the trending destinations reflect a desire for unique scenery and memorable, luxurious experiences, from the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica to the mountain vistas of Colorado and beach clubs of Mykonos.
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