A disheartening piece of news circulated the valley last week, at least for skiers and snowboarders anxious for the upcoming winter. After an abundant ski season last year, the early forecast calls for less snow this winter.
According to meteorologists with Accuweather.com, the Pacific Northwest is expected to see “below normal snowfall and above normal temps.” Montana appears to be positioned just north of the “above normal snowfall” expected to hit states like Colorado, Idaho and Utah.
“The presence of El Niño or La Niña – and their strength – is used to project how active the winter season is going to be,” wrote meteorologist Meghan Evans. “AccuWeather.com Long-Range meteorologists are projecting a weak to moderate El Niño by the fall.”
The website’s 2012-13 Winter Outlook is only a forecast of future weather trends, and a full-length report will be released in October. That’s when the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration annually releases its winter outlook report.
For the sake of powder days aplenty, hopefully the forecast is wrong.