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If you’re dreaming of a white Christmas, dream on…The NOAA has issued a pair of forecasts, spanning from December 13-17 and December 15-21 and all signs show above-normal temperatures ahead across the US.
If you’re worried about having to shovel a lot of snow or about knee arthritis pain that gets worse in the cold weather, you may get a reprieve this December because temperatures for the entire country are forecast to be above normal all the way to Christmas.
Here is a look ahead at two long-range forecasts by the Climate Prediction Center of the National Weather Service and the NOAA.
If you’re wondering when the significant winter weather is coming, it won’t be arriving soon, not in the next 10 days at least, and probably not in the next two weeks.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) issued its 6-10 day outlook spanning from December 13 to December 17. The forecast looks at the probability factor of below-normal or above-normal temperatures. Most of the country will be at above-normal temperatures, while a little less than half the country will see temperatures in the normal range.
Normal temperatures: Most of Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and southeastern Oklahoma. Normal temps in Arkansas, Louisiana, Tennessee, Kentucky, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and Florida. Temperatures within the normal range for most of Missouri, and the southern halves of Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and the Western regions of West Virginia, Virginia, and the Carolinas.
Above-average temperatures (40% chance or greater): Most of the West, Midwest, upper Midwest, Southeast, mid-Atlantic, and Northeast.
High probability of above-average temperatures (70% chance or greater): Washington, Oregon, Northern California, northern Nevada, eastern Idaho, western Montana, southwestern South Dakota, the western half of Nebraska, northeastern Colorado, and northwestern Kansas.
The second forecast outlook issued by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is a 7-day outlook spanning from December 15 to December 21, which shows temperatures climbing as we approach Christmas Day.
Normal temperatures: Central and southern Florida was the only location in the continental US with the probability of normal temperatures.
Above-average temperatures (40% chance or greater): The simple answer is the entire country except central and southern Florida. A 50% chance or greater is best defined by drawing a line straight up through the center of New Mexico all the way to Montana and then all areas east of that line, with the exception of Maine with a 40% chance of above-average temperatures.
Most of the West will have a 40% chance, with a 50% chance for northeastern northern California, northwestern Nevada; Northwestern, Central and Eastern Oregon; central and eastern Washington; northern central and southwestern Idaho.
High probability of above-average temperatures (70% chance or greater): In the central US and Ohio Valley, including the Texas Panhandle, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, Iowa, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, as well as southwestern Minnesota, southern Wisconsin, southern Michigan, northern Arkansas, northwestern Tennessee, Western, and Northern Kentucky.
