Massachusetts

What Does The Winter of 2017-2018 Have in Store for New England?

Expect a warmer than normal winter in New England, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

NOAA released its winter outlook on Thursday. Long term government forecasters expect warmer than average conditions this winter not only in New England, but across most of the southern half of the country. It’s expecting a cooler than average winter in parts of the Pacific northwest.

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Remember that winter in this case is defined as December, January and February.

The official outlook expects drier than normal conditions across the southern half of the United States, with wetter than normal conditions from parts of the northwest, across to the Great Lakes region. In New England, NOAA says there are “equal chance” of an above average or below average season.

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NOAA does not explicitly forecast snowfall during long range forecasts, instead simply predicting precipitation which may fall as rain, snow, or wintry mix.

In general, the winter forecast is expected to be dominated by La Nina, a cooling of the Pacific equatorial waters. 

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Overall, NOAA says conditions - including precipitation - look similar to those from last winter.

It’s important to also remember that even if a winter comes out to be warmer than normal as a whole, cold and snowy times are likely in New England.

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