The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has released its 2024-25 winter outlook, highlighting a “slowly-developing” La Niña that could shape weather throughout the country from December through February.
Meanwhile, drier-than-normal conditions could hit the South and Southwest — including parts of Florida, Georgia, Arizona, and New Mexico.
(Credit: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) For regions experiencing drought conditions, the outlook offers a bit of good and bad news.
In the central and southern Plains, however, drought conditions are likely to continue.
Although the outlook gives us an idea of what type of trends to expect this winter, it isn’t a day-by-day forecast.
According to where you reside in the U.S. S. climate experts predict that this winter may bring a combination of rain and snow or an unusually warm start to the season.
In its 2024–25 winter outlook, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration noted that a “slowly-developing” La Niña could influence weather patterns across the nation in December and February.
According to Jon Gottschalck, head of the NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center’s Operational Prediction Branch, “an emerging La Niña is anticipated to influence the upcoming winter patterns, especially our precipitation predictions.”.
States like Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana may see more rain and snowfall this season as the Pacific Northwest and Great Lakes regions are more likely to receive above-average precipitation.
A wet winter is also possible in northern Idaho, Oregon, and Washington.
Parts of Florida, Georgia, Arizona, and New Mexico may experience drier-than-normal weather in the South and Southwest. Below-average rainfall is also possible in the Southern Plains states of Texas, Oklahoma, and a small area of southwest Kansas.
A slightly elevated probability of below-normal precipitation is indicated for Southern California’s inland areas in the outlook. Metro Los Angeles and the rest of the Golden State are up for grabs.
For a large portion of the southern United States, the NOAA predicts above-average temperatures. S.
It is predicted that this warmth will extend up the Eastern Seaboard through Georgia, the Carolinas, and as far north as New England. The Gulf Coast includes states like Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. Parts of the Great Lakes region and Pennsylvania are also expected to experience warmer-than-normal temperatures.
Conversely, the Pacific Northwest and Northern Plains are predicted to see lower-than-average temperatures. Below-average temperatures are possible in certain parts of western Alaska as well as in states like North Dakota, Oregon, Montana, and Washington.
There will probably be above-average temperatures in Southern California, which includes the counties of San Diego, Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino, and Ventura.
(Photo courtesy of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration).
There is some good news and some bad news for areas that are currently experiencing drought. In sections of Ohio, Indiana, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia, drought relief is anticipated.
Still, drought conditions are likely to persist in the central and southern Plains. It is anticipated that Texas, Kansas, and Oklahoma will continue to experience dry weather with no sign of improvement.
While the Gulf Coast is anticipated to encounter fresh drought conditions, other regions of the Southwest, such as Arizona and New Mexico, may also endure a protracted drought.
While it’s not a daily forecast, the outlook does provide us with an idea of the kinds of trends we can anticipate this winter. Although they are unable to forecast specific weather events, the predictions do represent probabilities for seasonal temperatures and precipitation. So make sure to look up the local forecast.
