Randy Mann: Mild winter still expected in Pacific Northwest
Winter officially began Sunday, and it appears that the rest of 2014 will be very cold across the Inland Northwest. However, thanks to the warmer-than-normal sea-surface temperatures along the equator, milder air is expected to move into the region around the start of 2015.
My winter prediction for the Pacific Northwest and southwestern Canada still calls for milder and wetter than normal. Most of our snowfall is expected to come from mid-January through early March. Overall, snowfall totals in the lower elevations should be about 40 percent below normal, but there should be enough cold air to produce plenty of snow in the higher mountains for at least a decent ski season.
What about the rest of the country’s winter outlook? Finally, much-needed moisture arrived in California, but that state has endured one of the worst dry periods in its history and it’s going to take a lot more moisture to end its effects. More rain and high mountain snow are expected across California and down into the desert Southwest for much of the winter season. There will likely be periods of moderate to heavy rainfall that will produce additional mudslides and lowland flooding.
In the northern Great Plains, south-central Canada and the Midwest, unusually frigid weather has already invaded. Record snow and temperatures as much as 40 degrees below normal were reported in early to mid-November. There will be more periods of colder-than-normal temperatures and snowfall, especially near the full moons in January and February.
In the central and southern Great Plains, conditions should still be a bit drier than normal through the early portion of 2015, then turn wetter than normal. Temperatures should be milder than average overall.
The southeastern U.S., including Florida, will continue to have occasional rain and isolated thunderstorm activity through much of the winter. Precipitation totals should be a bit above average with generally mild to warm temperatures.
Merry Christmas!