Winter forecast: Warmer West, North; cooler South
WASHINGTON — The Midwest and Northern United States are likely to get a warmer winter, while the Southeast can expect just the opposite: cooler and wetter conditions.
In Thursday’s winter outlook, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says an El Nino weather event — warming in parts of the Pacific that affects weather worldwide — will be a major player in America’s winter temperatures.
Forecasters predict warmer than usual temperatures would reach a swath from Washington to Michigan, dipping south to central New Mexico. Alaska also has a higher chance of warmer temperatures.
They also say cooler temperatures are expected from southern Texas to the Mid-Atlantic and in Hawaii.
Other places, such as the Northeast and California, can go any which way on temperatures.
Overall, slightly more than half the nation by area will be warmer than normal, but when it comes to where most people live, about half the population is likely to have warmer weather and the other half cooler, said Mike Halpert, deputy director of NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center
The El Nino will play a big role in helping some drought-parched regions, Halpert said. Forecasters said there is a significantly higher probability of wetter winters for Texas, Florida and California and the southern parts of New Mexico, Arizona, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina.
Hawaii, the Pacific Northwest and part of the Midwest from Michigan to Arkansas are more likely to be drier than normal because of fewer storms across the Appalachian Mountains, Halpert said.
Halpert said the El Nino is currently weak but forecast to strengthen to a moderate-sized weather variation in the next few weeks. The El Nino not only influences the forecast but it gives forecasters more confidence that what they predict will come true, he said.
The El Nino makes forecasts for a wetter southern Texas and less than average snowfall in the northern Rockies far more likely to come true, Halpert said.
And it may not be good news for next year’s Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia.
The Olympic city can expect “a dry and warm winter but it certainly can be cool enough for snow,” Halpert said.
September was warmer than normal for the United States, but not greatly hotter than normal, ranking 32nd out of 115 Septembers on record. But Nevada had its warmest September on record and California tied for its warmest month on record. The nation’s rainfall in September was exactly average.
NOAA also announced on Thursday that globally September was the second warmest month in 130 years of recordkeeping, just behind 2005. World temperatures last month averaged 60.1 degrees Fahrenheit (15.6 degrees Celsius), which is 1.1 degrees (0.6 degrees Celsius) above normal. Three-quarters of the way through the year, 2009 is lining up to be the sixth warmest year on record.
On the Net:
NOAA winter forecast: tinyurl.com/yflenty
Related News
Largest ever dino footprints found in FranceOctober 10th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Footprints from sauropod dinosaurs, giant herbivores with long necks, were found in Plagne, near Lyon, France. The dinosaur footprints in Plagne are circular depressions surrounded by a fold of limestone sediment.
Keeping warm won't take as big a bite out of budgets this winter _ fuel costs to stay in checkOctober 6th, 2009 Keeping warm should be a bit cheaper this winterWASHINGTON — Staying warm won't be quite as expensive this winter. People who heat with natural gas should do especially well, seeing their lowest bills in five years.
El Nino may be overshadowed by its brother in central Pacific due to global warmingSeptember 24th, 2009 WASHINGTON - In a new research, scientists have determined that El Nino, the periodic eastern Pacific phenomenon credited with shielding the US and Caribbean from severe hurricane seasons, may be overshadowed by its brother in the central Pacific due to global warming. "There are two El Ninos, or flavors of El Nino," said Ben Kirtman, co-author of the study and professor of meteorology and physical oceanography at the University of Miami's Rosentstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science.
1st day of fall brings snow, cold to Colorado, freezing temperatures acros mountains in WestSeptember 22nd, 2009 1st day of fall brings snow, cold to ColoradoVAIL, Colo. — The first day of fall feels more like the first day of winter for some of the mountain West, with light snow and chilly temperatures across Colorado and freeze warnings for higher elevations in New Mexico, Wyoming, Nevada, Utah and Arizona.
Toddler missing in swollen Ga. creek; at least 2 others dead, man missing in Southeast floodsSeptember 21st, 2009 Toddler missing in Ga. creek as storms soak SouthATLANTA — Authorities are searching for a toddler swept away in a rain-swollen creek in west Georgia as heavy rains and thunderstorms claimed at least 2 other lives in the Southeast.
Authorities searching for missing toddler in Ga. creek after days of rain drench SoutheastSeptember 21st, 2009 Toddler reported missing in rain-swollen Ga. creekATLANTA — Authorities are searching for a toddler who was swept away in a rain-swollen creek in west Georgia after heavy rains and thunderstorms rolled across the Southeast.
Scientists may have discovered Homo sapiens' oldest known trackways in TanzaniaSeptember 16th, 2009 WASHINGTON - A team of researchers from the Appalachian State University, US, is investigating in Tanzania, East Africa, what may represent the oldest known and best-preserved trackways of modern humans (Homo sapiens) in the world. The research is being carried out by Dr.
Hurricane Bill continues to churn far off in warm waters of Atlantic; winds near 135 mphAugust 20th, 2009 Hurricane Bill fierce as Category 4 in AtlanticMIAMI — Hurricane Bill howled over the open Atlantic as a fierce Category 4 storm Wednesday, and it could be energized by warmer waters as it moves north. Forecasters said Bill should begin pushing large swells toward Bermuda and parts of the southeastern U.S.
Met office predicts heavy rain in north, east IndiaAugust 15th, 2009 NEW DELHI - A heavy downpour is expected in many parts of north and east India in the coming two days, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) predicted Saturday. Isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely over Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi and Chandigarh, as well as over West Bengal, Sikkim, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Assam, Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh, a met official said.
More heavy rains to hit flood-battered OrissaJuly 20th, 2009 BHUBANESWAR - More rains were predicted in Orissa Monday where flash floods triggered by continuous heavy rains for a week have caused the deaths of at least 36 people and displaced thousands. The state government has alerted all the district collectors to remain prepared to meet the challenges and advised fishermen not to venture into the sea as conditions will be rough.
Warm, humid day ahead for DelhiJuly 5th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Delhiites can expect a warm and humid day Sunday as rains are likely to elude the capital yet again, the weatherman said. There will be mainly clear skies but it is possible that it could get cloudy towards the evening, an official at the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.
Scientists need to consider ways to reduce their own carbon footprintsJune 9th, 2009 WASHINGTON - A researcher has said that scientists studying the impact of climate change on the Arctic need to consider ways to reduce their own carbon footprints. The statement has been made by Ryan Brook, postdoctoral fellow at the University of Calgary.
Jackson: Lakers consultant Tex Winter improving after suffering apparent strokeApril 27th, 2009 Jackson says Winter is improving in hospitalLOS ANGELES — Tex Winter, the longtime Los Angeles Lakers consultant and mentor to coach Phil Jackson, is recovering in a Kansas hospital from an apparent stroke. Winter, 87, fell ill Saturday morning in Manhattan, where he was attending a reunion of Kansas State basketball team members, the Lakers said.
The Nation's WeatherApril 22nd, 2009 The nation's weatherAn Alberta Clipper from southern Canada was forecast to drop into the northern tier of the nation Thursday. As the system plunged southward, a mix of rain and snow showers was expected to blanket the Northern Plains, the Upper Mississippi Valley and the western portions of the Upper Great Lakes.
Footprints prove earliest humans walked 1.5 mn years agoMarch 1st, 2009 WASHINGTON - Footprints found by researchers in two 1.5 million-year-old sedimentary layers in Kenya show that some of the earliest humans walked like we do today. The footprints found near Ileret in northern Kenya constitute the oldest evidence of an essentially modern human-like foot anatomy.
Loading ...