A Summary of the Forecast
A weaker La Nina will allow for higher pressure to bring in cooler temperatures from Canada while a Pacific jet stream will bring moisture off of the ocean. Those two conditions should collide and create wet conditions in the Pacific northwest.
While the jet stream will dip further south in the mid states allowing for a southerly cold air push, the southeast and southwest corners of the US are expected to have a mild and dry winter.
Snow from Minnesota through the Great Lakes Region!
Snow contractors in Minnesota might very well have a good year with not only cooler temperatures, but also some good bursts of snow! The Dakotas and Iowa will likely have cooler than average temperatures when the Alberta Clippers come around for a visit this winter season.
Contractors in the midwest and the Great Lakes are expected to have the best season for snow and ice removal in the 2017-2018 Winter season. Colder temperatures and warmer than average Great Lakes may bury those in lake effect snow areas with better than average snow falls.
We expect a weak La Nina to be in place this winter. This typically allows the main jet stream to set up from the Pacific Northwest through the Plains, Ohio Valley and Mid Atlantic. The jet stream will waver throughout the year, but generally it’s going to stay warm to the south of the jet and cooler to the north.
Eastern Seaboard = Less Snow but More Events
The eastern seaboard will likely see, at best, a slightly above average amount of snow. There will likely be less Noreasters (so fewer big events) but a higher number of smaller events that hit Pennsylvania and eastward when you get out of the lake effect snow areas.
While snow fall will be average or slightly above average for large portions of the United States, the cold air will affect a larger portion of the northern states as the La Nina affect pushes cold air down into the United States out of Canada.
The Biggest Snow Winners Are?
The biggest winners look to be the contractors in the lake effect areas with those large bodies of water dumping more than average moisture in the air while the cold air rushes in from the north.
You can learn more about the NeoWeather forecast service at neoweather.us