National Winter 2020-2021 Overview

This winter is set to be affected by the cooler than average ocean surface temperatures along the equator causing La Niña conditions by everyone’s standards. In fact, every single weather model that Neoweather watches is predicting a mild to strong La Niña this winter. That means it could be drier than average in many parts of the country and that a very typical jet stream. Cold Arctic air will be bottled up in the Northern Atlantic Ocean that will spill down into Greenland, Canada, and into the Midwest regularly. We’ve seen that already and it is expected to continue at least into January. 

What is La Niña?

La Niña is a weather pattern that usually takes place in the Pacific Ocean every few years. Normally the Pacific Ocean water surface temperatures along the equator remain warm, even during winter. La Niña conditions are determined when the winds are much stronger than usual causing the Pacific Ocean water surface temps to be a few degrees colder than average. This small change in the ocean’s temperature can affect weather all over the world. La Niña normally causes places like Indonesia and Australia to get much more rain than usual, while places like the southwestern United States can be much drier than usual. It also causes much more hurricane activity than usual – which we definitely saw this year!

More Long Range Weather Links

• 2020-2021 Farmer’s Almanac vs. Old Farmer’s Almanac
• Fall 2020 Long Range Forecast
• 2020 Winter Weather Preview

Snow Contractor Custom Weather Services

Long-range forecasts are interesting, but the more specific and accurate the weather is, the more it will save you time and resources. Weather apps just can’t get detailed enough to help you know exactly when to send out your crews. Neoweather can help you do just that with private, custom weather forecasting services that focus on the details that help snow and ice management contractors. Contact Neoweather for a free quote.

Mild Wet Weather to Start, Then Snow

This week starts off with a mostly dry country except for the Ohio Valley and Southeast where there will be some significant rain and some storm potential. The Northeast could see an inch or two of rain. The next big system pushes down from the North early next week with a crazy cyclone swirl of cold weather that could amount to some significant snow in the Midwest.

Today’s weather is dry and uneventful nationwide with exceptions in the Northern Rockies, where there are some pockets of snow, and the Ohio and Tennessee Valleys where a pretty significant system is brewing up. A super soaker stretches from the Great Lakes all the way down to the Gulf on Wednesday. Severe weather is expected in the South and in the most northern areas, there may be some snow – especially up in Maine and Canada. Some spots in those areas could see up to 4-5 inches of snow. Snow accumulation is expected since temperatures will be in the 20’s.

On Thanksgiving, there is literally no precipitation expected in nearly all of the country. This changes dramatically starting Friday and into the weekend when a helluva system pops up that actually gets a part 2 early next week. 

Cyclone of Cold Air & Pressure

A big blast of cold air is expected to come down from Canada early next week. It brings with it a cyclone of tight pressure and windy conditions combined with moisture that is expected to swirl around and make things interesting. A big spinning trough of air is going to create a trough in the Central U.S. and East causing a high potential for more snowstorms.

The northern jet stream is expected to collide with the southern jet stream causing a condition known as “phasing.” In the past, collisions like this have created some of our biggest snowstorms, but we’re not sure yet how significant it will be next week. It’s something to keep an eye on for sure.

Where will the snow hit?

It’s too soon to tell. It might fall across the Appalachian Mountains, or maybe in the heart of the Midwest. Either way, many of the models are projecting the potential for a big-time winter storm early next week. 

Early December Temperatures Below Average

11/25/2020 Weather Forecast Video

Watch Neoweather’s winter forecast for snow contractors video below for all the details on this week during Thanksgiving, as well as a bit on the changes expected for next week.

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Northwest Snow, Unsure About the Northeast

Today and most of this week, nearly all of the U.S. is expected to be dry with virtually no precipitation. The one big exception to that is a few spots in the Pacific Northwest. Up in the mountains, they may even see more than a foot of snow. Later in the week, a system builds up in the Rockies that could spread over the plains and into Canada and the Northeast with the potential for some snow, depending on the temperatures.

11/17/20 Great Lakes Snow

Yesterday the Great Lakes experienced some lake effect snow. Parts of Michigan, Ohio, New York, and Pennsylvania had widely scattered snow spots that produced several inches in some areas and even a little heavier in others. It wasn’t very organized or intense, but it definitely produced snow-covered grounds in some areas on Tuesday for a brief time before warmer temps melted things.

Potential Snow for the Weekend

After a very dry week by anyone’s standards, on Friday a snowy system is expected to brew up in the Rockies around Denver. At the same time in the plains near Kansas City and Saint Louis, a rainy system will kick up but warmer temps are probably going to keep that as rain in the East. We’ll need to stay tuned to see if enough Arctic air moves down to make this snow instead. If it becomes snow, meteorologist Brian Ivey says it will have to be “sneaky snow.” That’s something to watch for on the northern end of the system. Just a few degrees will make all the difference.

Crazy Warm Temperatures to End November

The only thing warmer than dark red on a weather map is brown! Look at all the brown on the map above showing temperatures WAY above average at the end of November. We’re talking about 15-25 degrees above average in the warmest spots! Overall, the entire United States is at least a few degrees above average temperatures for this time of year.

11/18/2020 Weather Forecast Video

Watch Neoweather’s winter forecast for snow contractors video below for all the details on this week, going into next week.

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11/11/2020 Contractors Winter Forecast

This week started with the lucky streak of much warmer than average temperatures across most of the country coming to an end. Many areas experienced temperatures 20-30 degrees above average, and there were a gazillion Facebook pictures of people enjoying the outdoors to prove it! What’s up next? Keep reading to find out what Brian Ivey from Neoweather is expecting this week.

Heavy Rain Out East

There’s a big wet system blanketing the East Coast area from The Florida Keys all the way up to Boston. This is from the latest storm in the gulf and lots of moisture coming up from that, while a high-pressure system in the Atlantic is creating a blocker to keep that moisture on land.

Snow is Coming!

11/11/2020 Weather Forecast Video

Check out this week’s winter weather video from Neoweather below to get all the details on this week’s forecast. If you would like a free quote on getting accurate and detailed forecasts for YOUR service area, contact Neoweather today!

11/5/2020 Contractors Winter Forecast

It’s not just the election maps that are showing a lot of both blue AND red this week! The forecast is quite a mix of temps too. Brian Ivey from Neoweather gave Snow Plow News a rundown of what’s happening this week aside from all the election drama – and he did so in his election day best attire! If Neoweather had a vote of their own, the “Sunshine and Comfy” forecast would win, and that’s exactly what they’re expecting most of the country to see this week. 

High pressure dominates in most of the country this week so it’s mild and quiet (unlike our news channels these days). In fact, the temperatures are well above average in some areas and it remains dry. The only exception is some tropical storm activity that’s expected in Florida as the hurricane season refuses to call it quits. 

By early next week, the heat moves east and an area of low pressure and much cooler temps sweeps down from Canada into the Pacific Northwest. That’s when we get our patriotic temperature map showing blues out West and Red in the East. By the middle of next week, the colder temps cover most of the country as they continue to spread east.

Moderate La Niña Brewing Up

Brian says we have a “moderate” La Niña building up with colder than average ocean surface temperatures in the Equatorial Pacific Ocean. It is getting relatively strong in spots and some weather models are predicting a strong La Niña that will influence some weather patterns for this winter.

The National Weather Service says, “La Niña episodes in the winter months feature a wave-like jet stream flow across the United States and Canada, which causes colder and stormier than average conditions across the North, and warmer and less stormy conditions across the south. Historically for this part of the Midwest, fall tends to be warmer and drier than normal while winters tend to be wetter than normal. However, there are also many other complicated factors in the atmosphere and oceans that can also impact our weather patterns.” So keep an eye on our upcoming forecasts to see what’s in store for you this winter.

11/5/2020 Weather Forecast Video

Watch this week’s winter forecast video for snow contractors from Neoweather below to get all the details on the coming week. If you are tired of inaccurate weather forecasts or generic apps that don’t give you the details you need to run your weather-dependent business, contact Neoweather for a free quote on their private forecasting services.