AccuWeather: Nation Should Prepare for Severe Winter

[christopher]

The country should brace for a tough winter, says AccuWeather, with an early arrival of the polar vortex in the Northeast.

Larger cities such as New York and Philadelphia will likely see warmer temperatures in September, but the polar vortex may make short, sporadic visits, the forecast says.

"The vortex could slip at times, maybe even briefly in September for the Northeast," AccuWeather forecaster Paul Pastelok said. "There could be a significant shot of chilly air that comes across the Great Lakes region and into the interior Northeast sometime in mid- to late September."

The Plains and Rockies will see even colder blasts. There will be more snow than normal with colder temperatures, AccuWeather says.

In the South, there will be fewer Atlantic hurricanes, but more severe storms associated with the weather phenomenon known as El Nino.

El Nino should also bring drought relief to Texas and Arizona, but California is not expected to get as much rain. The extreme drought conditions there have brought on water restrictions statewide as well as wildfire threats.

 

[christopher]

http://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/fall-2014-forecast-polar-vortex/31254218

As fall 2014 takes form, no relief is in sight from the historic drought and the raging wildfires in the West.

While the West undergoes another period of heat and dryness, the Southwest, South and Texas will experience a soggy end to 2014. For the Northeast, blasts of winterlike air will arrive early this fall, serving as a reminder of last winter's brutality.


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</center>[SIZE=+1]Polar Vortex to Return Early in the Northeast[/SIZE]

While the fall will kick off with days of sunshine and temperatures above normal in some of the region's largest cities, including New York City and Philadelphia, the polar vortex may make its return for short, sporadic periods in September.

"The vortex could slip at times, maybe even briefly in September for the Northeast," AccuWeather Lead Long-Range Forecaster Paul Pastelok said. "There could be a significant shot of chilly air that comes across the Great Lakes region and into the interior Northeast sometime in mid- to late-September."

As conditions in northern Canada begin to set up similar to last fall, getting colder and unsettled quickly, it is likely that this pattern could become a source for colder air to make its way down at times into the United States, inducing a drop in temperatures for the interior Northeast during mid-fall.

"Temperatures will not be as extreme in November when compared to last year, but October could be an extreme month," Pastelok said.
After short-lived days of the polar vortex in September, the weather should turn a bit warmer in November as rain ramps up across areas from New York City to Boston and Portland, Maine, as well as the rest of the region.

"We will see some dry weather in the Northeast, barring any tropical systems, in September and October but in November it will get wet," Pastelok said.

Following a soaking November for Northeastern residents, El Niño will make its debut early this winter, fueling early winter snow across the area.

"December could get kind of wild due to the very active southern jet stream that is going to provide the moisture for bigger snowstorms," Pastelok said. "The Northeast could have a couple of big storms in December and early January."


[SIZE=+1]Winterlike Cold, Snow to Blast Plains to Rockies[/SIZE]

Unlike the Northeast, the trend for the northern Plains and northeastern Rockies will sway more winterlike, as early snow and cold air blast the area this fall.

"October could be a month of snow and cold weather across the northern Plains and in parts of the northeast Rockies," Pastelok said.

Snow falls over Sioux Falls, S.D., on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2013. (Photo/kristielou1515)

While it's not uncommon for this area of the country to receive snowfall in the fall, areas from Bismarck, North Dakota, to Miles City, Montana, will be more vulnerable this fall to an increased number of snowstorms.

Aside from the snow, temperatures are expected to be near or below normal for most of the region with some parts of the southern Rockies experiencing temperatures 2 to 4 F below normal.

"Some areas of the southern Rockies will start out in a hole 2 to 4 degrees below normal and never recover from that," Pastelok said. "The northern Rockies and the Plains will get colder as the season goes on."

As the cold grips areas from the Colorado Rockies to the Sierra, the cold may even expand southward into the central Plains and portions of the Midwest, including Chicago and Milwaukee and Green Bay, Wisconsin.

While the cold and snowy weather will create ideal early-season conditions for ski resorts and avid winter athletes in the eastern Rockies, Colorado, those in the western Rockies, the Sierra, will not be as lucky.

"The dryness in the West is going to hamper any early significant snowfall in the western Rockies from Lake Tahoe to Bend, Oregon," Pastelok said.

 

[snengineer]

Although I would love to see some of this forecast play out I do have to say that if weather is shoes then Accuweather is payless. We always want to hear what we are looking to hear but their are much better sources for weather forescasting. All in all lets hope we have a good winter!

 

[christopher]

Interesting analogy!

 

[mountainhorse]

Shiza... Look at the Sierras... Looks like a road trip kind of winter.








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