Colder, Snowier Winter Predicted For Detroit
Not happy with the scorching heat this summer? Just wait awhile. The major metropolitan areas of the mid-Atlantic that were pummeled with snow last year will get a break this winter. Instead, Chicago, Milwaukee and Minneapolis could be in the heaviest snow zone this winter, with Detroit not far behind.
According to Accuweather.com, other cities predicted to receive above-normal winter snowfall include Omaha, Cleveland, Seattle and Portland.
Chief Long-Range Accuweather Meteorologist Joe Bastardi, predicts severe cold will hit Alaska and western and central Canada.
"The Canadian winter will be as harsh as last year's was gentle," Bastardi said.
In general, the East Coast will be granted a reprieve from the tremendous snowfall of 2009, often called "snowmaggeddon."
Bastardi predicts late November and December could get winter off to a fast start in the East, with a major thaw coming for much of the country in January.
He makes the early cold connection between this year's active hurricane season and his winter forecast.
Detroit, Chicago, Kansas City and Minneapolis will be a degree or so cooler than average, while much of the western part of the nation may see temperatures that dip a couple of degrees.
He said that years that see significant landfall, such as 1995, 2005 and 2008 usually also have cold for much of the eastern and central portions of the nation in December.
Despite the wild swings in temperatures, cities like New York, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., will still have near-normal snowfall. To put this in perspective, New York City receives an average of 28.4 inches of snowfall during winter.
The South and southern Plains will escape the worst of the winter weather with warmer and drier conditions compared to last year.
While these areas will be warmer and drier, this does not preclude the southern Plains and South from the threat of a couple of ice storms, as cold air tries to intrude southward.
Bastardi said the best weather this winter will be in Florida. He suggests that Florida will be a great winter destination, with warmer-than-normal temperatures all winter long.
Overall, Bastardi is predicting that the worst of winter's cold and snow will be from the Pacific Northwest into the northern Plains and western Great Lakes.
Be sure to stay tuned this winter to WWJ Newsradio 950 for complete traffic and weather updates around the clock on the 8′s.
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