As the 2009-2010 winter draws closer, more Meteorologists are falling in line with Joe Bastardi, Chief Meteorologist for AccuWeather.com and his prediction that this winter will be colder than average for a good portion of the country-colder than we have seen in several years.
This year's "under performing" El Nino is one of the reason's for their prediction. El Nino, or the warming of the Pacific Ocean waters, is so far this year, been relatively mild, and not what the National Weather Service had predicted earlier this year. It was expected to intensify by now but is showing no signs of strengthening. A weak El Nino is favorable for cold, snowy conditions along the eastern seaboard, stretching back into the Appalachians.
Another factor that may play a part in this prediction is the absence of Solar activity or sunspots. The Sun has been in the midst of a solar minimum, or absence of sunspot activity, not seen in nearly a 100 years. Some scientists correlate the absence of solar activity with cooler than normal temperatures-which is what many of us in the U.S. have indeed experienced this year.
For those snowbirds living in the South, this upcoming winter may be your kind of winter!
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