Pittsburgh Winter Forecast: Mild But Wet, NOAA Says

PITTSBURGH, PA - You might not need to dig out the snow shovel as often this winter. Warmer than average temperatures are forecast for Pittsburgh and much of the country this winter, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Climate Prediction Center.

But wetter than average weather is probably across the northern tier of the winter forecast period, which extends from December through February.

No part of the U.S. is predicated to have below average temperatures this winter. The Northern Plains, Upper Mississippi Valley and the Western Great Lakes have equal chances for below-, near- or above average temperatures.

Wetter than average conditions are most likely in Alaska and Hawaii, along with portions of the Northern Plains, Upper Mississippi Valley, the Great Lakes and parts of the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast.

NOAA said in a release that its outlook does not project seasonal snowfall accumulations as snow
forecasts are generally not predictable more than a week in advance. The agency also cautioned that even during a warmer than average winter, periods of cold temperatures and snowfall are likely.