By Jim Noel
After a cooler and drier November, our attention turns to the winter and spring outlooks.
With a weak La Nina ongoing again this upcoming winter, what will it mean for Ohio? La Nina is only one of many factors that impacts our weather and climate.
The outlook for December is for warmer and wetter conditions across most of the state. This pattern will likely persist into February, though January may become less wet though confidence in that is low. We will likely have some short intense cold snaps mixed in with the warmer than normal conditions. As for snow, with the cold bursts, if timing is right, we should see more snow than last year but there is no indication of anything more than about normal snow at this time.
One note for winter is if we do not have snow on the ground when we get the cold bursts, it will make crops like wheat more vulnerable so this is worth watching.
As we go into next planting season, indications are like so many springs for it to start off with normal or even a bit colder than normal temperatures and above normal precipitation. However, by May things should relax toward normal conditions.
Source : osu.edu