Warmer Winter Expected in West

Warmer-than-normal temperatures and continued drought are likely this winter in the West, government forecasters said Thursday.

The annual winter outlook from the National Weather Service contains considerable uncertainty for much of the nation, with forecasters finding few strong trends to guide them.

According to the forecast, temperatures in Alaska, the far West, Southwest and southern Plains are likely to be higher than normal this winter. But, the report said, for other parts of the nation, the winter would bring equal chances of above-, below- or near-normal temperatures.

“Without a strong El Nino or La Nina signal as a guide, there is more uncertainty in our forecast, but we do expect winter to bring its typical weather variability,” said John Jones Jr. of the National Weather Service.