Autumn officially begins in the northern hemisphere this Saturday (23). But forget about autumn for now. In some parts of the northern country, we will jump straight into winter.
Parts of the northwest United States will get a taste of winter this week, as cold temperatures and some snowflakes are in the forecast for the higher elevations (mountainous region) in the states of Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. However, while temperatures cool down this week, there is no snow forecast for the major cities in the Northwest.
In the Northeast, the forecast is for a rainy weekend.
According to experts, temperatures in the region this week will be about 10-15 degrees below seasonal averages.
Sign of a harsh winter?
This year, the weather is being influenced by El Niño, a climate phenomenon characterized by the periodic warming of sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean, which exerts far-reaching effects on North American winters. Its influence on the continent varies depending on the strength, timing, and interaction with other atmospheric and oceanic factors.
During El Niño events, the southern United States, including the Gulf Coast and Southeast, typically experiences warmer and wetter conditions, resulting in above-average rainfall and increased flooding risks. On the other hand, the northern United States usually sees milder winter temperatures and reduced snowfall.
So, despite a cold start to autumn in the northern part of the country, it may be that winter is quite mild, as it was last year. Little snow and not-so-low temperatures.
Source: USA Today and NBC