Just weeks into the fall season, cold temperatures have Southern Tier residents thinking about the winter months ahead. While residents can expect the air to get colder and the trees to be blanketed in snow, winter weather may be moderate this year.
The National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center expects an above-average chance of warmer temperatures during the winter months, as well as an above-average chance of increased precipitation.
La Niña conditions – periodic cooling of ocean surface temperatures in the central and east-central equatorial Pacific Ocean – are expected in the United States, according to USA Today, with the country having a 70% chance of these conditions and a chance of 40% that conditions will be moderate.
Farmer’s Almanac winter forecasts for New York
-
Because of La Niña, the Farmer’s Almanac predicts that this winter will be “wet and cold for most locations,” and that there will be “rapid-fire storms bringing both rain and snow, with little respite in between.”
-
The Farmer’s Almanac further predicts that New York specifically could see above-normal amounts of precipitation and above-normal temperatures.
Here’s what this all means for southern winter weather forecasts.
NOAA winter forecasts for Binghamton
-
From December 2024 to February 2025, the National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center projects a 43% chance of above-normal temperatures for the Binghamton area.
-
As for the precipitation outlook, Binghamton residents can expect a 39% chance of above-normal precipitation in the area.
More: Will I-81 exit signs change in Broome County? What you need to know about the NYSDOT highway project
NWS winter weather forecasts 2024-25 for Binghamton, Southern Tier
National Weather Service meteorologist Mitchell Gaines in Binghamton said this winter is expected to be similar to winters Southern Tier residents have seen in recent years.
Gaines explained that the overall “overall theme” of the winter of 2024-2025 is expected to be “warmer and wetter,” but stressed that doesn’t mean residents won’t experience harsh winter conditions at times.
Although blizzards and blizzards cannot be accurately predicted until about a week earlier, most winter storms are forecast to occur “to the north and west” of the Binghamton area, he said, and local residents will most likely see more heavy rain than snow .
Still, Gaines said residents should be prepared for winter conditions and “have a plan ready” as events are forecast to occur in the Binghamton area that will see both snow and ice. Even mild winters, he said, can cause severe winter weather events.
What were the 2023-2024 winter conditions like in Binghamton?
-
According to the National Weather Service’s Climatological Report, the highest temperature during last year’s winter season was a high of 64 degrees, recorded on February 27. The lowest temperature was 4 degrees, measured on January 17.
-
In terms of precipitation – and not snowfall – last year holds the record for the largest amount of precipitation, with a total of 30.5 cm, giving a daily average of 0.13 cm, and the largest amount of precipitation recorded in a 24-year period hours was observed was 6.5 cm from December. 17-18, 2023.
-
In terms of snowfall, last year’s winter season totaled 36.4 inches of snowfall, with 51 days seeing more than a trace amount of snow and 10 days seeing more than an inch of snow. The largest amount of snow seen in a 24-hour period last year was 20.3 centimeters on January 6 and 7.
This article originally appeared on Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin: Winter Weather in NY: What Binghamton Can Expect in 2024-25
