Students looking for another unseasonably temperate winter may need to look to 2008, because meteorologist say this winter’s outlook is not so sunny.
Following last year’s mild winter, which saw below-average snowfall and above-average temperatures, meteorologists are predicting a winter with normal temperatures and snowfall.
Henry Margusity, the senior meteorologist of AccuWeather.com, attributes this return to normalcy to a weak El Niño.
“El Niños typically steer storms further south, meaning states such as Virginia will see greater snowfall than normal,” Margusity told The Daily Free Press. “However, Boston will see about normal conditions for this winter.”
“[Meteorologists] look for a change in global weather patterns when making seasonal predictions,” Margusity added. “This year, with only a weak El Nino to consider, there isn’t likely to be an especially warm or cold winter.”
According to AccuWeather.com, Boston receives 48 inches of snow in a typical winter, while the average temperature between December and March is 34 degrees. Last winter, Boston received only 38 inches of snow, and the month of January was the sixth warmest on record with temperatures approximately 7 degrees above average — a rarity in the meteorological world.
“Boston will not see the extreme mild spell that took place last January,” Margusity said. “Temperatures will have a see-saw pattern, where periods of colder weather will be matched by periods of warmer weather, equating to near normal temperatures.”
According to the National Weather Service’s climate prediction center, Boston has an “equal chance” for a warmer or a colder winter, yet predicts a near-normal winter. The National Weather Service’s precipitation outlook also foresees a normal amount of precipitation, with an equal chance for a wetter or dryer shift.
AccuWeather.com’s national prediction shows Boston may be slightly cooler than normal, but also notes that temperatures will hover near normal.
While the winter may not be forecasted as anything remarkable, individual snowstorms and unusually cold and warm spells will likely keep the weather interesting even in an average year, Margusity said.
“Boston always gets big snow storms and they can get a couple this year for sure,” Margusity said. “It may not be a huge year in terms of overall snowfall, but there will definitely be a big snowstorm or two.”
Boston University students do not have much time to adjust to the cold, as the weather is sure to turn frigid within the month, yet some were skeptical of the meteorologists’ predictions.
College of Communication sophomore Ryan Steele said that a “normal” Boston winter could still include a substantial amount of extreme weather.
“In weather speak, normal still means unpredictable weather,” Steele, a North Carolina native, said. “I like the snow, but I don’t like the cold rain.”
College of Arts and Sciences sophomore Sarah Hartshorne said she is looking forward to a normal winter.
“Normalcy is nice, especially since I barely notice a difference between a ‘bad’ and a ‘normal’ winter because it’s all snow and ice anyways,” she said.