Whether you like it or not, winter is officially here. Forecasters at the National Weather Service have released their final winter predictions as a La Nina weather pattern sweeps across the country, disrupting temperatures nationwide.
Many Americans could get a balmier-than-usual winter, with mild temperatures across much of the South and the Northeast. But it may get chillier than folks are used to in a few areas, including the Pacific Northwest through the upper Midwest. The forecast is also suggesting big snow totals in some spots.
Take a look at how your region is expected to fare.
Forecasters at the National Weather Service are predicting "above normal" temperatures across the Southwest — in much of Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and Louisiana.
The warm temperatures could extend as far east as Florida.
The Northeast also has a good chance of higher-than-usual temperatures.
That's especially true in northern New York and the other states that border Canada in the Northeast (Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine).
Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island should see a fairly mild season as well, though forecasters warn that if temperatures dip even slightly lower, that could lead to heavy snows.
Predictions suggest above-average temperatures in Alaska, especially above the Arctic Circle.
The region known as the North Slope is especially likely to see a warm winter — which could spell another year of bad news for Arctic sea ice.
In December the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reported that"the Arctic shows no sign of returning to the reliably frozen region it was decades ago."
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