Contributing image from NOAA

As the calendar switches to the eleventh month of the year, people are looking ahead to what winter may bring. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has released their annual season outlook for the coming winter. Meteorologist Kenny Podrazik with the National Weather Service says Iowa’s position this year is in equal chances for temperatures and precipitation, so Iowa has a 33% chance of being above normal and 33% chance of being below normal.

Podrazik explains the sea surface temperatures, or El Nino and La Nina, impact the weather across the country. He adds, we’re transitioning from an El Nino to more of a La Nina, meaning cooler than normal sea surface temperatures in the Atlantic Ocean.

Ultimately, this year, there isn’t a good enough signature to show if we’ll be above or below normal temperatures or precipitation in Iowa, he said, “We should expect kind of a status quo as far as winter goes for Iowa.”