National Weather Service Releases Winter 2019 Forecast For NJ

New Jersey could be looking at a milder-than-usual winter, according to a new forecast. But we're not going to be free from snow. In fact, some parts of the state are expected to get more of it.

The National Weather Service has announced its annual winter outlook this week, saying that some parts of New Jersey should expect above-average amounts of precipitation because of a likely El Nino system.

The greater levels of precipitation should lend itself to more snow than average, and the Mid-Atlantic region typically depends on the strength of El Nino when it comes to snowfall, according to the winter forecast.

The last El Nino did result in "Snowzilla" in 2015-16, so we could get another one. However, this will be a relatively weak El Nino, so don't expect to get pounded with blizzards throughout the season, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which manages the National Weather Service.

Warmer temperatures are expected largely in North Jersey, while Central and South Jersey are expected to get the brunt of the precipitation.

Here is the outlook:

Here is New Jersey's precipitation potential:

Several publications, including the Farmers' Almanac, have already made long-range snowfall predictions. The National Weather Service says the agency's forecast is the most accurate.

"Snow forecasts are generally not predictable more than a week in advance. Even during a warmer-than-average winter, periods of cold temperatures and snowfall are still likely to occur," the National Weather Service states.

The Old Farmer's Almanac says winter will be milder than usual, while the Farmers' Almanac says it will be blustery, cold and snowy.

See related: Farmers' Almanac Releases NJ Winter 2019 Forecast: It's A Doozy

Old Farmer's Almanac Issues Winter 2019 Forecast For NJ

According to the NWS, the rest of the country may get less snow because they're forecasted to be warmer than normal. Forecasters say that no part of the country will be colder than average based on current forecasts.

Of course, these are early forecasts that could prove to be wildly off-base. But if you want an idea of what we're expecting this coming winter, NOAA says keep your snowshoes handy.

"We expect El Nino to be in place in late fall to early winter," said Mike Halpert, deputy director of the agency's Climate Prediction Center. "Although a weak El Nino is expected, it may still influence the winter season by bringing wetter conditions across the southern United States, and warmer, drier conditions to parts of the North."

If you're wondering what El Nino means, the NWS says it is an "ocean-atmosphere climate interaction that is linked to periodic warming in sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific." During the winter, typical El Nino conditions in the U.S. can include wetter-than-average precipitation in the Mid-Atlantic and South and drier conditions in parts of the North, the National Weather Service says.

Photo courtesy of Helena Mitchell