Meteorologist Says El Niño Could Bring "Above Average" Snow To The Rockies This Winter
There are dozens of professional and amateur meteorologists releasing winter '23/'24 forecasts to YouTube on a daily basis due to the excitement around El Niño.
Meteorologist Matt Makens takes a data driven approach by using historical data from previous "strong" El Niño years to predict what will happen this winter. According to Makens' data, he believes that Arizona, the southern Rockies, the Mid-Atlantic, and the southeast have a chance for "above average" snowfall this winter.
Check out his video analyzing past strong El Niños and what they can tell us about the winter ahead:
Matt Makens: "There's so much discussion about what this #winter2023-24 will be in terms of #snow and #cold #weather. I've seen some quality #forecasts, I've seen some real head-scratchers. With anything involving #criticalthinking, let's apply a historical perspective before we put the "cart ahead of the horse." #Weather is a cycle, it cycles, so let's see what past #ElNiño events have done to apply toward building a #winteroutlook from #alaska to #canada, across the contiguous #unitedstates and into #mexico. This video is not an outlook; it is a historical representation of similar El Niño years of the past..."
It's way too early to tell if this year's strong El Niño will produce similar results to those of yesteryear, but it's a good place to start if you're planning a big ski trip this winter.
If we're using the data represented in Makens' video, resorts like Taos, NM, Wolf Creek, CO, and Arizona Snowbowl, AZ are poised for snowier-than-normal seasons.
With that said, there are conflicting views on how this year's El Niño will set up, particularly in how it was affect the northeast.
Related: POWDER Magazine Is Back In Print With The '23/'24 Photo Annual
It's important to remember that nobody can predict the weather that is to come with 100% accuracy.
Take everything with a grain of salt and feel free to commiserate with POWDER writer Ian Greenwood if you've had enough El Niño Winter '23/'24 talk.
Winter is coming. Are you ready?
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