Forget the Coat - Winter Will Be Warm and Dry

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), winter in the United States should be above average in terms of temperatures. This prediction was made earlier in the year and a recent press release indicates the same predictions will hold true for much of the US. However, Michael Halpert of the Climate Prediction Center said, "Our big concern continues to be the persistence of drought across large parts of the country's southern tier. (Click on the image to the right for a larger view.)

Nearly half of the Southeast is in extreme drought and water supplies have reached critical levels in some cities." The onset of La Niña means that drought will likely persist in the Mid Atlantic and the Southwest while areas such as the Northeast and Great Lakes region will likely improve in the coming months. Heating degree day forecasts project December through February to be 3.4 percent warmer than the 30-year normal.