Winter Forecast For Connecticut: What To Expect in 2017-18

Connecticut residents, do you know where your shovels and winter gear are? You might want to begin digging it out, as the long-term AccuWeather forecast is predicting a more severe winter than we experienced last year.

Areas along the immediate Connecticut coast or Interstate 95 corridor may see a more normal to slightly above normal snow total this winter, Accuweather.com states. Areas away from the corridor will have a better chance at an even greater snowfall.

Accuweather's forecast was similar to that of the Farmers' Almanac, which called for winter conditions to be "a bit more than normal."

If the forecasts hold true, parts of Connecticut could be in for more than 50 inches of snow this winter. According the Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection, the average winter snowfall in the Northwest Hills is 50 inches. Along the coast, the state sees an average winter snowfall of 30-35 inches.

Paul Pastelok, the lead long-range weather forecaster for AccuWeather, said it should be a good season for skiing in the Northeast, the Colorado Rockies and the Northwest. Additionally, the forecast holds good news for skiers and those who think it isn’t Christmas without snow.

“I think this year is going to bring a good ski season in the Northeast,” Pastelok said. “And around the holidays we should have some snow for the interior Northeast.”

If you live in the Northern Plains and parts of the Midwest, you may want to dig out your wool socks and extra layers, according to a new winter forecast released Wednesday. Temperatures in the northern Plains could plummet to below 30 degrees below zero, the forecast says.

AccuWeather says areas that typically receive large amounts of lake-effect snow — Cleveland, Ohio, Pennsylvania; and Buffalo, New York — should brace for mountains of snow and frequent shoveling. Both snow and ice are predicted in Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois and throughout the Northeast.

Winter will be comparatively balmy in the Southern Plains, the Southwest and southern California, where forecasters say winter will be milder and drier than last year. (Subscribe to your local patch in Connecticut for the latest breaking news and our daily newsletters. If you have an iPhone, download our amazing Patch app.)

Here’s a closer look at the forecast in different parts of the country:

Southeast and Tennessee Valley

Air temperatures will run above normal in most of the Southeast, especially Florida and Georgia, where the risk of a damaging freeze is lower than in past years. Florida, inundated with rain after Hurricane Irma, is expected to remain mostly dry.

In the western areas of the region, weather could be colder overall, and Pastelok said a few ice storms could hit the area stretching from the Tennessee Valley to northeast Texas.

Tornadoes aren’t out of the question, either. In January 2017, the area from Texas to Georgia was pummeled by 137 tornadoes. Pastelok expects the region to be experience tornadoes in February.

Northern Plains

Arctic cold blasts are expected to plunge Montana, the Dakotas, Minnesota, Iowa and most of Missouri into the deep freeze on a regular basis, but the drier, colder air will carry less moisture, so huge, frequent snowfalls shouldn’t be a problem.

The coldest air — minus 30 degree Fahrenheit temperatures (and that doesn’t include the windchill) — will be in the Dakotas, Pastelok said.

Southern Plains

The chilliest temperatures could come in mid-winter, and arctic air blowing in from Canada could lead to freezes in late January, Pastelok said. Overall, though, a cold winter isn’t predicted.

Despite roller-coaster temperatures overall, southwest Texas could experience above-normal temperatures.

And while some storms are predicted, the winter will be mostly dry in the Southern Plains.

“We do feel there are going to be some storms in northwest Texas at times,” Pastelok said. “Southwest Texas could see some but not as frequent as in past winters.”

Northwest and Rockies

A weak La Niña predicted to develop this winter is expected to provide ideal skiing conditions in the Northwest, including the Cascades, and the Rockies.

“I think the Bitterroot chain all the way down to the Wasatch region in the central and northern Rockies has a good shot to be above normal on snowfall this season,” Pastelok said.

Northern California’s Sierra Nevada mountain range is expected to be less snowy, but the area should receive enough snowfall for good skiing conditions — but it’s not likely to be so significant that people won’t be able to reach resorts, Pastelok said.

Southwest

Dry, warm weather is predicted. In fact, Pastelok said, temperatures could reach into the 90s by early 2018.

Image credit: Lanning Taliaferro, Patch Staff