Winter Weather Outlook Fuzzy for Lehigh Valley
A national annual Winter Outlook says winter may be warmer than average in the west, but offers no clear trend for Pennsylvania
Here are two highlights from the annual Winter Outlook from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration: The winter outlook offers no clear trend for Pennsylvania or the Northeast. Forecasters with NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center say a wavering El Niño, expected to have developed by now, makes this year’s winter outlook less certain than previous years. “This is one of the most challenging outlooks we’ve produced in recent years because El Niño decided not to show up as expected,” said Mike Halpert, deputy director of NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center. “In fact, it stalled out last month, leaving neutral conditions in place in the tropical Pacific.” When El Niño is present, warmer ocean water in the equatorial Pacific shifts the …
