Winter Weather Forecast for Rhode Island

Winter in New England is always going to be cold, windy and snowy. But the newest forecast doesn't seem to be all too foreboding — relatively speaking, of course.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on Thursday provided the latest, and probably tamest, winter weather outlook for New England.

NOAA isn't calling for extreme temperatures in either direction, nor is it expecting a particularly wet or dry winter. "Average" would be the word one could use.

Now that doesn't mean the NOAA says it'll be middle of the road, but rather "there is not enough of a climate signal ... to shift the odds..."

And what about the snow? NOAA actually doesn't dive into snowfall predictions, which may come as a disappointment after the Farmers' Almanac predicted an "Ice Cold & Snow Filled" winter and AccuWeather said to expect frequent storms and more snow than usual.

Getting a little more technical, the NOAA expects what its Climate Prediction Center called for this month: La Niña. La Niña, the opposite of El Niño, which helped push along such a brutal winter last year, usually means wetter, cooler conditions for the Northern U.S.

“This climate outlook provides the most likely outcome for the upcoming winter season, but it also provides the public with a good reminder that winter is just up ahead and it’s a good time to prepare for typical winter hazards, such as extreme cold and snowstorms,” said Mike Halpert, deputy director, NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center. “Regardless of the outlook, there is always some chance for extreme winter weather, so prepare now for what might come later this winter.”

>>>Click here for the whole NOAA winter forecast<<<

Image courtesy of NOAA