Whither The Weather?

Well, here we are at the end of October (not even at mid-autumn yet) and meteorologists are already forecasting the 2010 winter. Here, we'll take a look at region-specific forecasts from three different sources.


An unusually severe winter storm hit Western Oregon last December. This winter is expected to be significantly different.

All three forecasting agencies basically predict the same regional trends, with some degree of variation: Rainy and cool in the South, wetter in the Southeast, and parts of the West Coast being warmer drier than usual. After that, the consensus breaks down...

NOAA:




AccuWeather:



The Farmer's Almanac:


I could spend and hour comparing and contrasting these forecasts, but I don't have the time or energy right now. However, I should mention that they highlight how complex and difficult even short-term climate prediction is.