{"id":16927,"date":"2016-10-22T04:51:38","date_gmt":"2016-10-22T10:51:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/?p=16927"},"modified":"2016-10-22T04:52:15","modified_gmt":"2016-10-22T10:52:15","slug":"noaa-releases-2016-2017-winter-weather-outlook","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/national-weather\/noaa-releases-2016-2017-winter-weather-outlook\/","title":{"rendered":"NOAA releases 2016 – 2017 winter weather outlook"},"content":{"rendered":"

What will this winter have in store for Thornton?\u00a0 Forecasters at the Climate Prediction Center have released their outlook and for the Front Range, it doesn\u2019t hold much in the way of clues.<\/p>\n

The CPC does show odds favor above average temperatures for much of Colorado for the period from December through February.\u00a0 In terms of precipitation, the agency gives equal chances of near average, well above average, or well below average precipitation for most of the state. The one exception is the southern third of Colorado which they peg at having above average chances of a drier than normal year.<\/p>\n

From NOAA:<\/p>\n

U.S. Winter Outlook predicts warmer, drier South and cooler, wetter North<\/strong>
\nDrought expected to persist in California and expand in the Southeast<\/p>\n

\"Winter<\/a>
Winter 2016 – 2017 temperature outlook. Click for larger view. (NOAA)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

October 20, 2016 –\u00a0<\/span>Forecasters at NOAA\u2019s Climate Prediction Center issued the U.S. Winter Outlook today, saying that La Nina is expected to influence winter conditions this year. The Climate Prediction Center issued a La Nina watch this month, predicting the climate phenomenon is likely to develop in late fall or early winter. La Nina favors drier, warmer winters in the southern U.S and wetter, cooler conditions in the northern U.S. If La Nina conditions materialize, forecasters say it should be weak and potentially short-lived.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis climate outlook provides the most likely outcome for the upcoming winter season, but it also provides the public with a good reminder that winter is just up ahead and it\u2019s a good time to prepare for typical winter hazards, such as extreme cold and snowstorms,\u201d said Mike Halpert, deputy director, <\/span>NOAA\u2019s Climate Prediction Center<\/a>. \u201cRegardless of the outlook, there is always some chance for extreme winter weather, so prepare now for what might come later this winter.\u201d<\/p>\n

Other factors that often play a role in the winter weather include the<\/span>Arctic Oscillation<\/a>, which influences the number of arctic air masses that penetrate into the South and create nor’easters<\/a> on the East Coast, and the Madden-Julian Oscillation<\/a>, which can affect the number of heavy rain events in the Pacific Northwest.<\/p>\n

The 2016 U.S. Winter Outlook (December through February):<\/span><\/strong><\/b><\/em><\/i><\/p>\n

\"Winter<\/a>
Winter 2016 – 2017 precipitation outlook. Click for larger view. (NOAA)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Precipitation<\/span><\/strong><\/b><\/span><\/h4>\n