The National Weather Service predicts higher than average precipitation for winter 2016.
The National Weather Service (NWS) released the
U.S Winter Outlook last week.
The report predicts higher than average temperatures in cities above the 40th parallel for Jan., Feb. and March 2016. Ocean City is slightly below that line, and experienced higher than average temperatures this fall. According to NWS monthly weather summaries, Ocean City had higher than average maximum temperatures in Sept., Oct. and Nov. 2015.
The East Coast can expect higher than average precipitation this winter. The NWS does not mention snowfall in their outlook. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) cited rapidly developing snow conditions as the reason for the exclusion in a Youtube
video about the winter outlook.
The winter weather will be heavily influenced by El Niño, a period of oceanic warming in the global climate cycle.
Tomorrow (Dec. 22) marks the first day of winter and the shortest day of the year. There are 159 days until Memorial Day from tomorrow.
