New NOAA forecast for winter is so-so for mountain snow

seattle – Snowfall this season has had a relatively disappointing start, with snow levels fluctuating, then rising again, leaving most of the new snow to melt.

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What plans should we make in the mountains and lowlands for the darkest months of the year?

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)’s Climate Prediction Center, we can expect a 40 to 50 percent chance of above normal rainfall through the second week of December.

Unfortunately, we also have a 33 to 40 percent chance of above normal temperatures in that same time frame. This won’t help our effort to boost snowfall in the Cascades.

Looking further afield, NOAA’s seasonal outlook calls for an equal chance of above or below normal rain and snowfall for Western Washington in December, January and February.

In what could help bring more snow to the mountains, the seasonal outlook for temperatures has a 33 to 40 percent chance of below normal temperatures over the next three months.

So there is still potential for a good ski season; We just have to see the layers start falling away soon.