What the weatherman has in store for the winter months is always of interest to North Dakotans, who often have a “we’ll see about that” response to long-range weather outlooks.
Nevertheless, indicators continue to favor a warmer than usual winter season for Minot and North Dakota. Here is the reason why according to the latest from the Climate Prediction Center.
“El Nino conditions are present and equatorial sea surface temperatures are above average across the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean. El Nino is expected to strengthen and persist through the winter of 2023-24.”
The equatorial Pacific is a long way from North Dakota but, assures the CPC, conditions there will have an influence on our weather in the coming months. The September-November temperature outlook doesn’t reflect such influence, calling for “equal chances” of above or below-normal temperatures.
However, looking further ahead, the CPC forecasts lean heavily toward above-normal temperatures for Minot and the state for the November-January time frame. Also, adds the CPC, below-normal precipitation is forecast.
The CPC outlooks were issued Thursday.
