2018-2019 Winter Outlook

Extreme Heat and Fire Weather Conditions in the West; Severe Thunderstorm Threat in the Northern Plains on Thursday

Extreme heat will may set some new daily temperature records across the Desert Southwest. Hot, dry and windy conditions and dry thunderstorms continue to bring fire weather concerns for portions of the Desert Southwest, the central Great Basin and Rockies. Severe thunderstorms and heavy rain are expected across the Northern Plains late Thursday. Read More >

Bottom Line for the Local Area...

NOAA's Climate Prediction Center (CPC) forecast for the upcoming winter months of December-February:

Temperatures: Warmer-than-normal is slightly favored. This is due to a developing weak El Niño.

Precipitation: Drier than normal very slightly favored over the Great Lakes. It should be noted, however, while there is a tendency toward dry during weak El Niños, there has also been a wet trend over the past 15 winters in the Upper Mississippi River Valley.

The temperature and precipitation outlook images are below:

Winter Temperature Outlook

Winter Precipitation Outlook

Here is a link to the Official Winter Outlook from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Climate Prediction Center: