Winter is quickly approaching, with less than a month until the season officially, astronomically begins. Meteorologists have begun to release their predictions for the upcoming months.
In the past decade, on average there has been 15.97 inches in the Dulles area. According to NOAA data, during the last winter season there was a total 11.7 inches nearby.
NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) predicts that the temperature will be 40% to 50% higher than average. For precipitation, they report an equal chance of below normal, average, and above normal levels for the majority of Virginia.
Accuweather reports an increase in snow this year compared to last in the Northeast and Midwest regions. The snowfall is expected to be in intervals and not constant, with breaks in the middle of winter.
“The weather patterns play tug-of-war between mild and rainy, and cold and snowy,” Accuweather writes.
A “Wet Winter Whirlwind” is the Farmers Almanac forecast for the upcoming months. Their main prediction being a “wet” and “cold” winter for the majority of the United States. Above normal amounts of precipitation are predicted, with a chance of slightly above normal temperatures.
Towards the end of January an increase in precipitation is expected in the Eastern part of the U.S. States could get rain, sleet, or snow depending on their locations.
There are a few different environmental factors that can impact the winter months and these predictions. An important one being the El Niño and La Niña cycles. These periods affect the temperature of the ocean floor in the Pacific Ocean. Currently the world is experiencing a La Niña cycle which means the ocean floor is cooling. This can decrease temperatures in the United States. La Niña is predicted to be weak this season.
According to past decades, “Weaker La Niñas generally produced above-average snowfall across much of the northern tier of the U.S.,” The Weather Channel wrote.
The upcoming winter season in NOVA could have above normal amounts of snowfall, turning the area into a winter wonderland or it could produce barely any at all. In the upcoming months, the accuracy of the winter predictions will be revealed.
