California’s Winter Weather Prediction According To NOAA
Anything is possible
By Marilyn Nelson on October 21, 2022
Climate experts at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have been studying the weather patterns. It looks like Sacramento may be in for another dry, mild winter.
NOAA said the latest observations indicates a 70-80% chance we’ll see a La Niña winter for the third straight year. The La Niña climate pattern occurs when water in the Pacific Ocean is cooler than average. The opposite of El Niño, which occurs when the ocean’s water is warmer than average.
The model for California is split in two by the La Niña pattern. Northern California could see more rain, while Southern California’s totals could be below-normal. Although it’s a mystery exactly where the line will fall.
As far as the rest of the country, NOAA is forecasting warmer than average temps. However, the Pacific Northwest, Montana and the western Dakotas are likely to be chillier than average.
Wet weather is expected for the Pacific Northwest and Great Lakes region, the Northern Rockies, parts of New York, Ohio, Kentucky, West Virginia and Missouri. Meanwhile the southern states could be drier, especially the Southwest, Florida and southern Georgia.
The rest of the country is looking at average amount of rain or snow.
