BOSTON — The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released its 2024-2025 winter outlook on Thursday.
The NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center said that there is a 60 percent chance that a weak La Nina will develop this autumn and could last until March.
La Nina is part of a natural climate cycle that can cause extreme weather across the planet and the influence it has on the weather varies based on location and the season.
What does La Nina mean for New England?
Warmer-than-average temperatures are favored from the southern tier of the U.S. to the eastern Great Lakes, eastern seaboard, New England, and northern Alaska, according to NOAA.
The forecast also predicted that drought conditions would improve or end for the mid-Atlantic, New England, Central Appalachians, Ohio Valley, Pacific Northwest, and Hawaii.
How much snow will New England?
In parts of New England, where it’s typically favored to be cold up to snow, there is an “above average snowfall signal in northern New England and interior New England,” NOAA scientist Michael C. Morgan said.
For the major cities along the coast, there’s likely to be more rain and ice events mixed in with snow due to La Nina, according to Morgan.
The NOAA noted that the outlook does not project seasonal snowfall accumulations as snow forecasts are generally not predictable more than a week in advance.
Boston 25 Meteorologist Shiri Spear’s take
“We don’t have a bid indicator pointing toward whether we’re going to have above or below-average snowfall. When I look back at the last 10 La Nina winters, it kind of averages out to normal snowfall. But we definitely had some snowier and less snowy winters,” Spear explained. “We’re going to have to take it storm by storm.
To view NOAA’s full winter outlook, click here.
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