Light snow Tuesday caught many Columbia commuters off-guard. But it may be just the beginning.
Tony Lupo, chair and professor of atmospheric science in the School of Natural Resources, said the same La Niña jet stream and atmospheric blocking patterns that brought heavy snows and below normal temperatures to the central states last winter will probably remain in place for the winter of 2011–12.
Lupo also expects the following:
• The eastern and southeastern U.S. to experience a colder and snowier than normal winter;
• Texas and the southern plains, which had a devastating summer drought, to have a milder but dry winter;
• The Great Lakes states to probably have an average cold and snowy winter;
• The northern states to have a colder and snowier winter;
• The Pacific Northwest to have a typically cool winter with slightly above average snowfall; and
• The western states to recover from last year’s colder and wetter season to a more average one.
Read the complete story on the MU College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources website.