PORTLAND, Maine — Temperatures have fallen and many are seeing the first snowflakes of the season. So what can we expect for the winter ahead?
Let's start with El Nino. This is a teleconnection that affects global weather patterns. This winter we will be in a strong El Nino phase which means some areas of the U.S. will be cooler, drier, wetter, and warmer.
Here in New England it means we have a 50-60% chance of a warmer than average winter.
Here's a look at our temperature outlook for December, January, and February.
A typical Maine winter looks a little something like this: Highs that are right around freezing, lows that are somewhere in the teens – either way, cold. The reason slightly warmer temperatures matter so much in the winter is because every degree matters when talking about snow production.
As far as precipitation is concerned, we should be right on average for our amounts. If you're a snow bird planning on going to Florida for the winter, you can expect more rainfall than usual.
So what can we expect for this winter?
We can expect for a warmer-than-average temperatures but it will still be cold nonetheless. We can expect a normal amount of precipitation (rain or snow).
The amount of snow we receive is still up in the air. It will depend on the track of each storm as it moves through. To get snow, we need both cold air and moisture at the same time. Because of that fact, we can infer that there would be less snow than normal this season due to the warmer temps.