February 2015 went down in the record books as the second coldest February in Boston.
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The Climate Prediction Center found that the atmosphere is well coupled with the Pacific Ocean for an onset of conditions that could bring above-normal rainfall to Southern California this winter.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and other weather groups are all calling for a strong El Nino pattern to continue through the winter, which means mild temperatures for key markets such as the Northeast and Midwest, and the potential for heavy rains in drought-stricken California.
However, milder weather in the Northeast could change in February and March, and upstate New York and northern New England may not see any of the warmer temperatures at all, Accuweather.com said.
Many East Tennesseans would welcome the warmer temperatures after the brutal cold of the 2014-15 season, but the weather-forecasting media company indicated that the mild temps might not hold up late in the season.
“Regardless, the Northeast and mid-Atlantic can expect fewer days of subzero temperatures than previous year”, AccuWeather’s website posting said.
However, the winter could be a mixed bag for the Golden State.
But those winters are relegated to the annals of history and this year we’ll find ourselves anxious more about rain than massive amounts of snowfall, says Carl Erickson, a senior meteorologist with AccuWeather. Farther west in the Great Lakes region, a lack of arctic air for much of the early and midwinter will lead to a weak lake-effect season, causing snowfall and precipitation totals to fall below normal. Accuweather predicts that Florida “in particular, may have a higher risk for tornadoes this season”. “I think those areas are going to get hit with a lot of rain”, Pastelok said.
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Meanwhile, El Niño – Spanish for “little boy” – will wreak havoc in California, driving heavy rain and mountain snow, while threatening to unleash flooding and mudslides.
