Although the official start of winter is still over a month away, it is time for winter weather forecasts. For those who are fans of snow, this could be quite an interesting year for you! To see why, keep reading!
Temperature– Winter will get off to a cold start as we continue with this pattern of colder than average temperatures. This is due to a dominant trough feature along the east coast. This has led to early snow in the north east and the development of two Nor’easters. It also played a significant role in the path of Sandy.
The cold will give way to a brief warmer period in January with at or slightly above normal temperatures. The cold will return to round out the month of February.
Looking at the season as a whole, temperatures will likely end up around normal, which will be much different from the winter of 2011-2012. Last winter ended up being very mild, in fact it was the fourth warmest winter on record in Harrisburg.
Precipitation– Since the dry July, we have experienced above normal precipitation, including some close calls with snow recently. This active pattern will persist thru the end of the year. With the number of Nor’easters already seen in the last few weeks, it is possible we could see a substantial storm before the end of the year in the form of a Nor’easter.
January will still feature precipitation but because of the warmer temperatures, we likely won’t see a big snowfall for January.
However, the colder pattern for February would favor more significant snowfall. Overall, snowfall will be average which is around 32 inches for the season.
And remember, March can always bring some of our biggest storms!
Chief Meteorologist Tom Russell
Meteorologist Nate Wardle
Temperature– Winter will get off to a cold start as we continue with this pattern of colder than average temperatures. This is due to a dominant trough feature along the east coast. This has led to early snow in the north east and the development of two Nor’easters. It also played a significant role in the path of Sandy.
The cold will give way to a brief warmer period in January with at or slightly above normal temperatures. The cold will return to round out the month of February.
Looking at the season as a whole, temperatures will likely end up around normal, which will be much different from the winter of 2011-2012. Last winter ended up being very mild, in fact it was the fourth warmest winter on record in Harrisburg.
Precipitation– Since the dry July, we have experienced above normal precipitation, including some close calls with snow recently. This active pattern will persist thru the end of the year. With the number of Nor’easters already seen in the last few weeks, it is possible we could see a substantial storm before the end of the year in the form of a Nor’easter.
January will still feature precipitation but because of the warmer temperatures, we likely won’t see a big snowfall for January.
However, the colder pattern for February would favor more significant snowfall. Overall, snowfall will be average which is around 32 inches for the season.
And remember, March can always bring some of our biggest storms!
Chief Meteorologist Tom Russell
Meteorologist Nate Wardle