Winter forecast mixed across the US
WASHINGTON - Winter looks likely to be mild in the Midwest and dry in the Southeast, the government said yesterday.
Warmer-than-average temperatures are expected for the nation's center, especially Kansas, Oklahoma, Missouri, and Arkansas, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
NOAA's Climate Prediction Center said above normal readings are also likely in a large area extending from New Mexico, Colorado, and Nebraska in the west to southeastern South Dakota and southern Wisconsin.
Most of Michigan is in the warm area, which extends east to western New York, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, the western edge of Virginia, and North Carolina and northern Georgia.
The rest of the 48 contiguous states have equal chances of being warmer or cooler than normal, the forecast said.
Turning to rain and snowfall, the outlook is for wetter than normal for the season in Kansas, Oklahoma, Missouri, and Arkansas.
Drier than normal is expected in the southeastern and Gulf Coast states, extending westward across Texas to New Mexico and most of Arizona.
ASSOCIATED PRESS 