Winter forecast: Harsh cold and snow - macombdaily

State College, Pa. - This year across the United States, AccuWeather Chief Long-Range Forecaster Joe Bastardi is forecasting harsh cold and c from the Northwest to the Large Lakes and New England, an early winter for the Northeast, a wintry mess for the mid-Atlantic and Midwest and abnormally warm, dry conditions from Southern California to the Carolinas.

he main player governing the figure for this winter is the phenomenon called La Nina, when sea surface temperatures across the equatorial central and eastern Pacific are below normal. La Nina strengthens as the difference increases.La Nina winters are typically synonymous with harsh conditions across the northern tier of the United States and drier-than-normal conditions throughout the southern tier.Northwest, Plains, Large Lakes and New England suffer worst of winterBastardi is pointing to areas from northern New England to the Great Lakes, northern Plains and interior Northwest for the whip of this winter's snow and cold. This district includes cities from Portland, Maine to Detroit, Chicago, Minneapolis and Spokane, Wash. with above-normal snow and ice in the forecast.The good tidings is that the construction of the snowpack across the Pacific Northwest is necessary to hydroelectric production in the leap and summer.While temperatures may average out faithful to normal in eastern parts of this zone, including Chicago, Detroit and Buffalo, N.Y. these areas will bear to suffer several outstanding cold shots with larger-than-normal temperature swings.Bastardi says that January through March will be especially "wicked" for people across the northern Rockies and northern Plains.Winter gets off to an early start on the East CoastJust because the season's worst will stay farther north across the land this year, it doesn't mean people on the mid-Atlantic and New England coast will escape winter altogether. Nor'easters that do form will lack moisture from the Gulf of Mexico and, as a result, not get the vast amount of snow seen last season.Bastardi maintained, "A fast start to overwinter in the Orient may have people concerned about another snowmageddon, but we anticipate that lots of the season's snow will come relatively early in the season."People across the East will also get to trade with winter's chill right off the bat, as temperatures are expected to be good or below normal during most of November and December."Non winter" from California to Southeast doesn't come without problemsAcross the southern tier of the country from the inner Southwest to the Gulf Coast and Carolinas, Bastardi is calling for a "non-winter" this class with above-normal temperatures and below-normal precipitation. That will be good tidings for residents of Oklahoma and northern Texas, who may just see a 10th of the good record snowfall that moved them last season.Though it sounds nice, this figure does not occur without consequences.In fact, the overall dry weather pattern expected across the southern tier of the land could take the area into a "perilous period" similar to the fifties and 1960s, which was drier-than-normal. Drought conditions and water shortages could become major problems from Southern California into the Mysterious South.Since Southern California receives most of its annual rainfall during the winter months, a dry winter will contribute to a serious wildfire threat along with water shortages down the road.The Mysterious South is already in the midst of a terrible drought, and a want of precipitation this winter will just make matters worse.