Main update is to back off the El Nino and make it more of a neutral ENSO winter for 2012-2013.  However, since the SST in the Equatorial Pacific have been flirting with a weak status El Nino we are not hanging our forecast on snowfall or ice events.  But we will adjust temperatures to the colder side!

Updated Winter Blogs:

QBO AND WINTER 2013

SNOW COVER AND WINTER 2013

DECEMBER 2012 OUTLOOK

ATLANTA'S TOP TEN BIGGEST SNOWSTORMS

1) 7.9"......March 24, 1983 
2) 5.8"......January 12-13, 1982 (became known as "Snowjam 82') 
3) 5.0"......January 18-19, 1992 
4) 4.6"......January 2-3, 2002 
5) 4.4"......February 17-18, 1979 (all sleet/ ice pellets) 
6) 4.2"......March 13, 1993 ("Blizzard of 93") 
7) 4.2"......January 7-8, 1988 (sleet/ ice) 
8 4.0"......March 10, 1960 
9) 3.9"......February 1952 
10) 3.6"....January 21-22, 1987

I know the traffic can get bad when we take the 285 but this is nuts. It's the world's worst traffic jam ever. It was 60 miles long and lasted 11 days yeah 11 days. Where ? Bejing China !

Ok back to weather. You know with the weak to moderate El Nino on the way we see an increased risk of severe weather this winter in Georgia and Florida. The track will determine how back it will get but the severe weather potential is higher than normal for a severe outbreak with tornadoes in December and again in February.

Last winter this signal was on the positive side and keep what little storms we had moving at a pretty good clip in the south. This did not allow for moisture to develop in the gulf and Atlantic Ocean for a good part of the winter. The NAO will be in the negative or blocking mode for at least half the winter and that means a better than 55% chance of a snowstorm and even a few ice storms in Atlanta and northern Georgia this winter.

So with the AO (Arctic Oscillation) back in the game after a record hibernation up north will this mean a COLD winter for Atlanta ? Possibly with impressive snow cover building up in Canada waiting to be released southward! 

SO WILL ATLANTA GET SNOW THIS WINTER ? YES IT WILL !

I'm gonna throw in 1-2 ice events for Atlanta due to the timing of a weak storm off the Midwest and some cold air off a sharp Arctic invasion. They will be small events but as we know in Atlanta it will not take much to shut the city down.

Enjoy your mini winter Atlanta ! 

Register Now to win prizes

Alerts, Outlooks, Chatrooms, Contests and more !