What to Expect for Winter Weather Across the U.S. This Year

Meteorological winter starts on Sunday, December 1. What will the season bring to the U.S. in terms of average temperatures and projected precipitation? Read on for more details about what the experts are predicting for this year's winter weather forecast.

Most of the U.S. Will See a Mild Winter

The general consensus is that it will be a mild winter for most of the country. However, that does not mean that cold blasts and blizzards will never be an issue. The driving force behind the long-range winter season forecast is the expected emergence of La Niña. This climate phase is forecast to be weak this year, allowing other influences to deliver more of an impact.

The long-range forecast is predicting that February will be the most likely time to see the impacts of the polar vortex. This setup allows for bitterly cold air to dip down from the Arctic and envelop the eastern U.S.

Water temperatures across the Gulf of Mexico are also expected to trend higher than usual. This will send mild air up into the central and eastern U.S. at times. Meanwhile, warmer than usual water temperatures circulating in the northern Pacific Ocean could influence the storm track for the West Coast, a development that would impact all of the nation as the systems move to the east.

Roller Coaster of a Winter Season for the Northeast, Midwest, and Great Lakes

It will be a roller coaster of a winter for a large portion of the country, including the Northeast, the Midwest, and the Great Lakes. The Northeast is forecast to pick up more snowfall accumulation than it did last year. For instance, major metropolitan areas such as Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Boston, and New York City are forecast to see an increase in wintry precipitation over 2023. An increase in snowflakes is also predicted for most of the central Plains and up into Minnesota, Michigan, and Wisconsin.