According to the Farmer’s Almanac, we should expect a “calmer, milder” winter across most of the country. But Florida can expect a wet spell.
“We predict a moderate, calm winter – possibly a welcome reprieve from the extremes of recent years.” Carol Connare, editor-in-chief of the Almanac, said in the seasonal forecast.
However, winter in Florida will be cooler than normal for the most part, according to the Almanac’s forecast. “February is expected to be 3°F above average, with near average temperatures for the remainder of the season.” And rainfall is expected to be slightly above normal across the state.
AccuWeather also predicts a (largely) mild winter
“As people prepare their skis and snow blowers with snow on their minds, AccuWeather forecasters predict the season will be mild for most of the United States, similar to last winter, which was the warmest on record,” said Brian Lada, AccuWeather meteorologist. . “That’s only part of the story, however, as waves of frigid air will periodically send frigid air across the country, along with increased chances of snow.”
La Niña, a natural climate pattern that affects the weather, is expected to be weak through most of the winter, causing more variability, and the warmer-than-usual waters of the Gulf of Mexico, which have contributed to the powerful hurricanes that hit our state this season could mean milder air masses for the central and eastern US
We could see bursts of cold weather in February as the polar vortex hits the eastern US as in previous years, but nothing is certain at this point, according to AccuWeather.
NOAA calls for a warmer and drier south, and a wetter north
However, don’t rely on the forecast rain. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released its winter forecast last week, predicting that the Southeast and Gulf Coasts will experience drier than average conditions with warmer than normal temperatures across much of the country.
“The greatest chance for drier than average conditions is in states bordering the Gulf of Mexico, as well as Texas and southern New Mexico,” said NOAA, which also attributed the conditions to a weak La Niña.
“La Niña conditions are expected to develop later this fall and generally lead to a more northerly storm track during the winter months, keeping the southern part of the country warmer and drier,” NOAA said.
Biting or sultry? Check out NOAA’s 2024 winter weather forecast for where you live
When does winter start?
That depends.
Meteorological winter, which runs from December to February and defines the seasons we usually think of when we say spring, summer, autumn and winter, begins on Sunday, December 1.
Astronomical winter begins on the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year when the North Pole is tilted away from the Sun. This year it’s Saturday, December 21, which is 5:21 a.m. ET.
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Will Florida winter be cold? Here are the predictions of forecasters
