The KMTV Weather Alert team has issued its outlook for the upcoming winter season, and our meteorologists are saying it's going to be more active than years past. Meteorologist Jennifer Zeppelin has been monitoring the weather pattern since October and she has seen a trend of more frequent and intense storms. Overall, Ryan McPike and Jennifer Zeppelin agree this winter is going to be a cold one with below average temperatures and several arctic outbreaks likely.
Over the past 5 years, snow totals for the most part have been way below average, except in 2015-2016, when we recorded near-average snow with over 27 inches. That also happens to be the year we were experiencing a strong El Nino. This year Ryan and Jennifer say El Nino is going to be weak. While that trend tends to mean below average snowfall, there have been years during a weak El Nino that totals have been way above normal. This winter we are forecasting near normal snow totals ranging between 25-29 inches of snow for the season.
