It’s Official, Your 2023-24 Winter Climate Outlook from NOAA
On the calendar winter doesn't officially start until December 21st, but meteorological winter runs December 1st through February 29th, and that's what we're talking about here.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration or NOAA is the parent organization to the National Weather Service, and they have come out with their 2023-24 Winter Climate Outlook.
It's not so much of a forecast, as it is an estimation of the trends we will see over the upcoming season.
So What's the Bottom Line?
- Temperatures: Minnesota can generally expect warmer than normal temperatures over the course of the season.
- Rain & Snow: Flip a coin. NOAA says there are equal chances that we could see wetter or drier than normal precipitation this winter. Translation: probably pretty near normal.
The Winter Climate Outlook also suggests that drought conditions are likely to persist through a significant portion of Minnesota.
El Nino conditions are expected to continue through the Spring in the Pacific Ocean. What that means is a bit unreliable, but is a factor taken into consideration when deciding what this winter in Minnesota will likely look like.
This will be the first El Niño since 2018-19. That one was weak. The last strong El Niño was 2015-16.
Here's what we know for sure. Get out your jackets, ice scrapers, snow blowers and shovels. Bust out your favorite soup recipes, and make sure you have plenty of hot chocolate on hand. Mittens, hats, boots, and scarves are also recommended. Chili, football, hockey, skiing, ice fishing, and snowmobiles are also suggested. In other words, happy winter in Minnesota!
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