Winter Predictions Part 1

[fishinwrench]

Yeah, it's from my yard.

[skeeter]

Same here.

[Wayne SW/MO]

I did see two Blue Jays in the yard earlier today, earlier than usual.

Oh Oh, I've had 4 of them most of the summer!

I haven't checked the persimmons, I guess I'll have to. I always kept an eye on the horses and how much hair they put on. I was up at the kids Thursday and none of the horses, 10, had abnormal hair, at least not yet.

[Justin Spencer]

A spoon means a snowy river doesn't it wrench?

[Gavin]

Spoon=get ready to shovel

[fishinwrench]

A spoon means a snowy river doesn't it wrench?

That's how the legend goes, yeah.

A fork means rain/sleet and above average temps, and a knife means "hard freeze/too cold to snow".

[moguy1973]

Mild Summer = Brutal Winter

[jdmidwest]

I thought the spoon meant you have to swat skeeters with it next summer.

I predict the days will get shorter and the nights longer till about Jan.

[snagged in outlet 3]

I have several persimmon trees in my backyard.

How do slice one open without taking off a finger?

Mine are touch as nails.

Snagged.

[stlfisher]

It looks like at this point in time a west based weak EL Nino will form, with warm waters and a large ride off the coast of Alaska, and a large ridge (blocking) setting up near Greenland. If that happens It will be very cold hear as the artic air will settle this way as we will be in between the two. A weak El Nino means an active sub tropical jet (which has been non existent the last few years contributing to drought in Southern California and weak northern wave storms for the Midwest), but the ridging to the east and west will keep the warm air away from us. An active subtropical jet usually brings us our biggest storms. With down stream blocking (ridging) setting up near Greenland (this was absent last year which allowed for a cold, but progressive pattern) both the cold and stormy weather should become more entrenched. If this pattern would continue to hold it could be very cold and snowy and even the south could get in some action.

Lot's can change between now and then, and it usually does but the signals have been slowly trending in this direction for months. It is possible we could revisit the "epic" winters from the late 70's for winters. It is very rare for a pattern like this to develop, but it one that has lots of potential for cold and snow in the Midwest.

Again a lot can change...should be a fun one to follow.