Oct 22, 2024 - Climate
D.C. is likely in for a warmer and drier winter
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The D.C. area could be in for a milder, drier winter than average.
The big picture: The annual NOAA winter outlook calls for weak La Niña conditions in the tropical Pacific Ocean to be a key factor in influencing the path that storms take.
- A warmer- and drier-than-average winter is favored along the southern tier. The probability of temperatures leaning above warmer in the DMV is 40-50%.
- Other factors, like the polar vortex and North Atlantic patterns of air pressure, are likely to assert themselves, leading to large week-to-week variability.
Between the lines: Human-caused climate change could overcome the typical effects of a weak La Niña to be a top factor influencing winter weather.
- "Winter for many regions across the U.S. is the fastest warming season of all the seasons," says NOAA climate expert Tom Di Liberto.