NOAA Winter Outlook - What it means for east Kentucky

CONTACT: Tony Edwards, 606-666-2560 ext. 726 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Friday, October 21, 2016

(JACKSON, Kentucky) -El Nino was the buzz-word last winter, and it's opposite La Nina is expected to have some influence on the winter conditions across the U.S. and Kentucky for this upcoming winter. What does that mean for east Kentucky? Here are the key points from the NOAA Climate Prediction Center's U.S. Winter Outlook:

There is a greater than normal likelihood of above normal temperatures this winter across eastern Kentucky.

While northern Kentucky stands a greater than normal likelihood of seeing above normal precipitation this winter, further south over eastern Kentucky there is no clear signal with equal chances of above normal, normal and below normal precipitation.

Drought conditions have expanded into much of eastern Kentucky this fall, however, improvement in the drought is expected into the early winter months.

Even though warmer than normal temperatures are expected for the winter as a whole, significant winter storms and arctic outbreaks are still possible. While the seasonal outlook does not project snowfall amounts, there is a weak signal for above average snowfall across eastern Kentucky during La Nina winters.

"This is the time of year when many folks start wondering about the winter ahead," said Tony Edwards, NWS Jackson, KY Warning Coordination Meteorologist. "Even though the outlook is for a milder than normal winter, it's still important to prepare. After all, last winter was a very mild winter overall, but it featured one of the heaviest snow storms on record for eastern Kentucky."

Important steps for preparing for winter weather include building an emergency kit and making a family communication plan. Travel in the mountains of eastern Kentucky can be paralyzed by just small amounts of ice and snow. Keep a disaster supplies kit in your vehicle in case you become stranded. If you are new to the area, learn about past winter storms and what you need to be prepared for.

NOAA produces seasonal outlooks to help communities prepare for what's likely to come in the next few months and minimize weather's impacts on lives and livelihoods. Empowering people with actionable forecasts and winter weather tips is key to NOAA's effort to build a Weather-Ready Nation.

Outlooks for the rest of the country, including a video briefing from CPC's Mike Halpert can be found below.