Blame the Little Girl if this winter doesn’t bring you the amount of snow you want this winter.
Meteorologists said a weak La Niña is likely this winter. A La Niña — which translates to Little Girl in Spanish — often means less snow.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s winter forecast calls for a slowly developing La Niña across the U.S. During a La Niña, the Pacific’s cold waters push the jet stream northward; this tends to bring a drought in the southern U.S. and heavy rains and flooding in the Pacific Northwest and Canada, NOAA said.
NBC4 Chief Meteorologist Doug Kammerer said during his winter weather prediction on Monday that the winter will be warmer than average, but that there will be an active storm track with a lot of mixing of rain and snow, either starting as rain and turning to snow or starting as snow and turning to rain.
“The best chance for cold will be in December and February,” said Kammerer. “[In] December, maybe we’re talking about a white Christmas.”
Meteorologists at WUSA9 predict the first snow will happen between Christmas and New Year’s on December 28.
Just How Much Snow Will Fall?
For the winter, Storm Team4 predicts a below-average amount of 6 to 13 inches of snow in Washington, DC, while areas to the south and east get 2 to 6 inches. The western exurbs could get 13 to 20 inches of snow.
“Everybody gets in some snow. I think for the skiiers, it’s going to be tough,” said Kammerer.
He said that La Niña winters in the area typically average 9.7 inches of snow, while the region receives an average annual snowfall of 13.7 inches.
Kammerer said if the weather pattern stays neutral and doesn’t end up being a weak Niña, the area could a lot more snow.
WJLA Chief Meteorologist Veronica Johnson agrees the weak La Niña will mean only 5 to 10 inches for the metro area, with Loudoun and Fauquier counties seeing between 10 to 15 inches of snowfall.
WUSA9 gave these winter predictions for the region:
- Reagan National Airport: 13 inches
- Dulles International Airport: 19 inches
- Fairfax: 18 inches (The average is 21.)
- Leesburg: 23 inches (The average is 22.)
Feature image of snow in Alexandria by Michael Geissinger/stock.adobe.com
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