According to an October 4 story by AccuWeather, it’s going to be a long, cold, snowy winter for much of the Snowbelt. At the time time, neighbors to the south will have drier, milder weather—although the Southeast could get hit with a pretty chilly January.
Additionally, frequent snowstorms across the Northeast could put snow removal contractors to the test.
"I think the Northeast is going to see more than just a few, maybe several, systems in the course of the season," AccuWeather Long-Range Forecaster Paul Pastelok said. Unlike last season, in which most of winter's snowfall came from a few heavy-hitting storms, this winter will last into the early or middle part of spring and will feature frequent snow events.
According to Pastelok, accumulation may be limited in areas south of New York City, such as Philadelphia, D.C. and Baltimore. These areas will see a handful of changeover systems, where falling snow transitions to rain and sleet. "But still, Boston, Hartford, along the coastal areas up into Connecticut and southern New England, they can still have a fair amount of snow," he said.
Brutally cold in the Northern Plains
Old man winter won't hold back in the northern Plains this season with shots of brutally cold air predicted to slice through the region. Developing snowpack in early December may contribute to even colder weather. Temperatures will plummet as the season goes on, averaging 6 to 9 degrees lower overall than last winter.
"There are going to be some nights, especially if there's snow cover in the heart of winter, that could get down to 20 or 30 below, especially in parts of Minnesota like International Falls and Duluth and parts of the Dakotas," Pastelok said.
Cold air will also remain entrenched across the Midwest after arriving in late November. Coupled with warmer waters over the Great Lakes, an early start to lake-effect season is in store.
Southern Plains gets hit late
Fall-like weather will linger into the winter season across the southern Plains and Gulf Coast, but a change will loom on the horizon.
"A turnaround could come into late December and January as chillier air masses work down from the north," Pastelok said.
Though the milder weather will retreat, dryness will stick around, becoming a major theme of the season.
"The area of the country that may miss out on big [snow] storms this year may be Dallas and Little Rock," he said. However, a few disruptive ice events are not out of the question.
