These Michigan Areas Will Get Pummeled with Snow This Winter
NOAA has released its official winter forecast, and it seems to differ quite a bit depending on which area of Michigan you reside. I personally can’t stand wet winters with snow and ice, so I’m hoping that my area has a dry, cold winter instead. Read on for the scoop.
The new NOAA forecast is out for December, January and February. According to the data (note the NOAA map here), La Niña is projected to continue through this winter and then be followed by normal water temperatures in the spring. So, what’s a La Niña? According to OceanService.noaa.gov, “La Niña has the opposite effect of El Niño. During La Niña events, trade winds are even stronger than usual, pushing more warm water toward Asia. Off the west coast of the Americas, upwelling increases, bringing cold, nutrient-rich water to the surface.” They add, “These cold waters in the Pacific push the jet stream northward. This tends to lead to drought in the southern U.S. and heavy rains and flooding in the Pacific Northwest and Canada. During a La Niña year, winter temperatures are warmer than normal in the South and cooler than normal in the North. La Niña can also lead to a more severe hurricane season.”
Thankfully, we don’t have to worry about hurricanes here in Michigan. But, we do have to worry about heavy snow. According to the NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center, there will be spots of above normal precipitation throughout Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and Lower Michigan. In Michigan, it appears the areas most likely to get above normal precipitation are in the far southern portion of Lower Michigan, such as in the Detroit area, Ann Arbor and Jackson. The NOAA also predicts a storm track that could bleed into southern Lower Michigan.
As for other parts of Lower Michigan, pretty much the entire mitten has a lightly increased chance of heavier than normal precipitation, but nothing too crazy. Temperature wise, the NOAA forecast doesn’t predict a colder or warmer winter, so it’s tough to say. Find more information via the NOAA here.
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