Will the U.S. winter be harsh, warm or maybe even rainy?
Because of La Nina and a few other factors, parts of the United States may be in for a colder than normal winter. However, several parts of the country may experience warmer than usual temperatures and even experience an above average amount of rain.
Winter 2017: Colder Than Usual
A colder than normal winter is expected for the eastern and northern parts of the country especially in the Pacific Northwest, the west Great Lakes and parts of Alaska.
It is because of a weak La Niña weather pattern that there is more high pressure in the atmosphere in the North Pacific, disrupting the west to east flow of air and thereby sending cold air into the U.S.
Winter For Some May Also Be Warmer
In contrast to below average temperatures projected in the northern parts of the country, warmer than normal temperatures are expected in the East Coast as well as the southern parts of the country and west and north Alaska. It should still be noted that despite warmer than normal temperatures, surges of cold weather and significant winter storms are still probable in these areas.
A Little Rain Expected
The Climate Prediction Center expects that this year's winter may also bring in an unusual amount of rain in areas in the Pacific Northwest, the northern area of the Great Basin, the Rockies and the High Plains. Other places such as Ohio and the Tennessee valley are also expected to experience a higher amount of rain. However, parts of California and areas more strongly affected by the drought are expected to experience less than the average amount of rain.
Drought In Winter
Some parts of the country that are affected by drought are fortunately expected to experience a little rain this winter. However, despite improvements in drought-ridden regions such as Oregon and Washington state, the projected amount of rain is still not expected to have any long-term effects in areas that are more severely hit by the drought, such as central and southern California.
White Christmas
"The Historical Probability of a White Christmas" by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) shows that on Dec. 25, people can expect the climatological probability of at least 1 inch of snow on the ground in the U.S.
Most of Idaho, Upstate New York, the Rockies and Colorado will be among the few places that the NOAA predicts to have a high probability of seeing snow on Christmas day. The projection is based on the averages of climatological measurements from 1981-2010 Climate Normals.
