Winter Forecast For 2017-18: Arctic Cold, Above-Average Snow In Some Regions

If you live in the Northern Plains and parts of the Midwest, you may want to dig out your wool socks and extra layers, according to a new winter forecast released Wednesday. Temperatures in the northern Plains could plummet to 30 degrees below zero, the forecast says. And if you’re in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic states, New York City or Boston, do you know where your snow shovel is?

AccuWeather says areas that typically receive large amounts of lake-effect snow — Cleveland; Erie, Pennsylvania; and Buffalo, New York — should brace for mountains of snow and frequent shoveling. Both snow and ice are predicted in Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois and throughout the Northeast.

Winter will be comparatively balmy in the Southern Plains, the Southwest and southern California, where forecasters say winter will be milder and drier than last year.

Paul Pastelok, the lead long-range weather forecaster for AccuWeather, said it should be a good season for skiing in the Northeast, the Colorado Rockies, the Sierra Nevada range and the Northwest.

Here’s a closer look at the forecast in different parts of the country:

Northeast and Mid-Atlantic States

It will be colder than last year, and snowfall is expected to be normal to above normal, depending on where you live. In addition to Cleveland, Erie and Buffalo, snowfall in New York City and Boston could be about 6 inches above normal, “within a few inches,” Pastelok said.

“Areas away from the I-95 corridor have a better chance at a big snowfall,” he said.

Additionally, the forecast holds good news for skiers and those who think it isn’t Christmas without snow.

“I think this year is going to bring a good ski season in the Northeast,” Pastelok said. “And around the holidays we should have some snow for the interior Northeast.”

Southeast and Tennessee Valley

Air temperatures will run above normal in most of the Southeast, especially Florida and Georgia, where the risk of a damaging freeze is lower than in past years. Florida, inundated with rain after Hurricane Irma, is expected to remain mostly dry.

In the western areas of the region, weather could be colder overall, and Pastelok said a few ice storms could hit the area stretching from the Tennessee Valley to northeast Texas.

Tornadoes aren’t out of the question, either. In January 2017, the area from Texas to Georgia was pummeled by 137 tornadoes. Pastelok expects the region to be experience tornadoes in February.

Northern Plains

Arctic cold blasts are expected to plunge Montana, the Dakotas, Minnesota, Iowa and most of Missouri into the deep freeze on a regular basis, but the drier, colder air will carry less moisture, so huge, frequent snowfalls shouldn’t be a problem.

The coldest air — minus 30 degree Fahrenheit temperatures (and that doesn’t include the windchill) — will be in the Dakotas, Pastelok said.

Southern Plains

The chilliest temperatures could come in mid-winter, and arctic air blowing in from Canada could lead to freezes in late January, Pastelok said. Overall, though, a cold winter isn’t predicted.

Despite roller-coaster temperatures overall, southwest Texas could experience above-normal temperatures.

And while some storms are predicted, the winter will be mostly dry in the Southern Plains.

“We do feel there are going to be some storms in northwest Texas at times,” Pastelok said. “Southwest Texas could see some but not as frequent as in past winters.”

Northwest and Rockies

A weak La Niña predicted to develop this winter is expected to provide ideal skiing conditions in the Northwest, including the Cascades, and the Rockies.

“I think the Bitterroot chain all the way down to the Wasatch region in the central and northern Rockies has a good shot to be above normal on snowfall this season,” Pastelok said.

Northern California’s Sierra Nevada mountain range is expected to be less snowy, but should receive enough snowfall for good skiing conditions — but it’s not likely to be so significant that people won’t be able to reach resorts, Pastelok said.

Southwest

Dry, warm weather is predicted. In fact, Pastelok said, temperatures could reach into the 90s by early 2018.

Photo by Scott Barbour/Getty Images News/Getty Images