Despite this only being the first week of November, winter is on the minds of many in our region as we’ve already had a chance to turn on the furnace and light a fire in the fireplace. Wind chills mostly in the 20s and 30s Sunday gave a very wintry feel for most despite still having well over a month left of fall.
Believe it or not, but locations as far south as the Carolinas and Tennessee have already picked up an inch or more of snow accumulation, and according to computer models, there’s a lot more where that came from. Many forecasters are in disagreement as to how much snow we will receive; however, most are in agreement that this winter will feature several prolonged cold spells across the eastern third of the country.
As for our region, let’s begin by looking ahead at November. I’m expecting average to slightly below average temperatures. I am not expecting a huge snowstorm this month, but we could see our first measurable snowfall by the time we get to Thanksgiving. It’s a pretty good bet that we will see some snow before the month ends.
By the time December rolls around, the snow machine will pick up just a tad, but it won’t be the peak of the snow. For December, I’m expecting colder than average temperatures with anywhere from 3-6 inches of snowfall for the month. There is no word on a White Christmas just yet, but it doesn’t hurt to dream.
Once we get into January, the snow will really begin to pick up, especially along the eastern seaboard. I am expecting to see substantial amounts of snow in January, as well as February. Many areas will receive in excess of 10 inches of snow in January, and February could pile up just as much snow.
Colder than average temperatures will impact our region for most of the winter; however, that’s not to say we won’t have a few mild days here and there. I’m expecting anywhere from 30-35 inches of snow to fall throughout this winter. That’s roughly the amount of snow we saw last winter. I think its safe to say that this winter will be similar to last winter. Only time will tell with this forecast, but we’ll update it once we get to January. As always, stay tuned for more.
My favorite thing to do is study the weather. It is truly fascinating. Nothing beats a good thunderstorm. I became very interested in weather when I lived in Okinawa, Japan for four years and was actually inside a super typhoon.”
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