If you are thoroughly disgusted by the (alleged) winter we just muddled through, hang tight. I would bet a half-eaten State Fair corn dog that next winter will be colder and snowier.
That tenuous outlook is based not on vengeance (or the Farmers' Almanac) but on La Niña, a cooling phase of the Pacific, forecast to kick in later this year. It may not be significantly colder than normal, tempered by continued background warming of the atmosphere and oceans, but odds favor more typical snowfall patterns next winter. Wait, did I just say that out loud?
A few sprinkles are possible today with highs in the 40s. A nice, sunny weekend is shaping up with 40s and relatively light winds. Weather models push the mercury to or above 60 again the first half of next week, another taste of late April.
A few predictions: Record early ice-outs will continue statewide. And until things green up (with ongoing drought) the risk of wildfires on windy days will be quite high. It seems an early spring is all but imminent.
