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AccuWeather.com and NWS Winter Forecast

Posted 2009-10-15

The National Weather Service (NWS) released two outlooks today that cover three-month periods from December 2009 to March 2010. When compared with AccuWeather.com's Official Winter Forecast for this season, the two forecasts agree on most points. However, there is significant difference of opinion regarding the El Niño.

The NWS states in its summarized outlook that "weak El Niño conditions are expected to strengthen and persist into the 2009-10 Northern Hemisphere winter."

Since July of this year, AccuWeather.com's Chief Meteorologist and Expert Long Range Forecaster Joe Bastardi has maintained the current El Niño will fade over the winter and will be unlikely to have as great of an impact in the overall weather pattern as could be expected in a typical El Niño year.

Compare the maps below. The NWS maps shown below are for the period December to February. The forecast period January to March is very similar to the earlier period.