Updated: 10/15/2009 11:37:13 AM
You can expect a cooler than average winter this year, if El Niño has its way.
NOAA is predicting cooler than average temperatures across the Southeast and drier than average conditions in the Tennessee River Valley this winter, thanks to El Niño.
The phenomenon--warmer ocean water in the equatorial Pacific Ocean--shifts the pattern of tropical rainfall and changes the strength and position of the jetstream.
As a result, NOAA is predicting a 40% chance of cooler than average temperatures across much of the Southeast. Tennessee falls into the band of 33% chance of cooler than average temperatures.
El Niño is also expected to cause a drier than average winter here in Tennessee: NOAA predictions put Tennessee at a 40% chance of having a drier than average winter.
NOAA advises that other weather phenomena, like the North Atlantic Oscillation, would add some instability to areas in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, resulting in difficulty predicting the weather there more than two weeks out.
You can find out more about the NOAA Winter Outlook on the NOAA website.
And you can always keep up with local weather on the wbir.com weather page.
