Get ready for these colder months, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has released its predictions for what the D.C. region could expect when it comes to winter weather.
And the prediction is that we could see more precipitation.
“During the period between December and February, which are the winter months, precipitation would be slightly above average,” said 7News First Alert meteorologist Mark Peña.
He said to keep in mind that this is not necessarily snow, and could be both wet and frozen precipitation.
“It will be in liquid and frozen form,” Peña said.
What about the kind of temperatures we can expect? Peña says they could also be slightly above average.
"We could see 30 to 40 degrees during this period," he said.
What do these temperatures mean for our winter?
“It could be the deciding factor on whether we will have a snow storm or an ice storm,” Peña said.
He said the forecast is for the months of December through February, which is generally not the time when the D.C. area sees a lot of precipitation.
“Please note that our winter months are the driest time of the year, so again, take it with a grain of salt. This is more of a perspective and not a forecast,” Peña said.
The winter weather outlook says this is the first time in four years that there is an El Niño heading into winter, which may cause warmer than average temperatures in northern states, which includes the D.C. area.
Do you want to travel this winter? The forecast says wetter than average conditions are more likely in northern Alaska, some areas of the west from parts of California to the south-central Rocky Mountains, the southern plains, the Gulf Coast, the Southeast and the lower mid-Atlantic.
Drier than average conditions are expected in areas of the northern Rocky Mountains and central Great Lakes region, especially in Michigan and northern Ohio and Indiana.
