AccuWeather.com® Forecaster Joe Bastardi Calls for Continued Delayed Spring in the North

Cold and Wet Weather from the Great Lakes to the Northeast, Dry Conditions and Warming in the Southeast

STATE COLLEGE, PA, March 13, 2008 - AccuWeather.com Chief Long-Range Forecaster Joe Bastardi forecasts that we may have more winter and significant wet weather in store for the Northern U.S.

"So far, spring is making up for the early lack of winter from the Great Lakes to the Northeast with frequent snow and colder-than-normal temperatures," Bastardi said. Bastardi warned that when temperatures do eventually rise, flooding could be a problem. "Virtually everywhere from eastern Indiana to southern New Jersey and northward to Maine has received nearly twice normal precipitation over the past three weeks," Bastardi said. "As we enter a thawing period, we are likely to see some flooding problems from the Ohio River eastward to southern New England."

Over the Pacific Northwest and the Ohio Valley, indicators point to wetter conditions. According to Bastardi, wet conditions are likely to continue in these areas with no significant break until April. In the Southeast, he foresees very different conditions, including above normal warmth and dryer conditions. "While precipitation this winter was not as far below normal as during the fall and summer in the Southeast, the La Nina pattern still suggests the drier-than-normal trend will continue, probably into at least the summer," said Bastardi. "Combining this with the general trend of drought produced by the warm phase of the Atlantic Ocean water temperature cycle, much of the Southeast will remain in dire straits for the longer term."

As a warning to farmers and gardeners, Bastardi added that dry weather may combine with occasional cold air charging into the Southeast from Canada to produce a late frost threat in the Southeast, perhaps into mid-April.

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