Preliminary 2014-15 Winter Outlook

The winter of 2013-14 was the 34th coldest winter for the lower 48 United States since modern records began in 1895. A highly amplified weather pattern brought several rounds of very cold air to the contiguous United States. For more details on this past winter, please check out our 2013-14 Winter Transportation Report.

For the upcoming winter, we are expecting El Niño conditions. El Niño is associated with warmer than normal water temperatures in the Equatorial Pacific Ocean. These events have a major impact on weather conditions in the United States, especially during the winter season. During El Niño winters, cooler and wetter conditions (more snow and ice than normal) occur across much of the Southern United States, with warmer and drier conditions (less snow and ice than normal) across much of the Northern United States. Due to good computer model agreement on an El Niño winter this year, we are expecting cooler and wetter than normal conditions from southern California to Florida, and warmer and drier conditions from Washington to Michigan.