AccuWeather and MyRadar Weather released their winter 2023 snowfall forecasts in early October, and it looks like it’ll be a cold one.
Snowfall forecasts hovered around the average for most major U.S. cities, as far as AccuWeather was concerned. Boston, which had significantly lower snowfall rates (12.4 inches) in the 2022 to 2023 season than the average (49.2 inches) could see anywhere from 38 to 44 inches. Other eastern states followed suit.
Even Buffalo, which disappeared under apocalyptic snowfall in the 2022 to early 2023 winter season, isn’t expected to hit an average. So, hopefully, folks will have some reprieve this year. But the same can’t be said for Denver, where populations should be preparing for well above average snowfall, of potentially 50 to 60 inches.
Let it snow, Let it snow, Let it snow ❄️🎶
Here’s our full winter forecast: https://t.co/AWep9HDz5A pic.twitter.com/TqepARLdwM
— AccuWeather (@accuweather) October 8, 2023
The El Niño weather event we’ve experienced throughout 2023 is largely to blame for the slightly under-average potential snowfall. But it could also have significant impacts elsewhere, MyRadar’s Colin McCarthy forecast.
“Even before winter has started, El Niño has made a mess,” McCarthy told Twitter. “This summer, the world has experienced unprecedented heatwaves, making 2023 the hottest summer on record.” But the real threats are still to come. “The delayed warming effects of El Niño could potentially make next year, 2024, even hotter.”
🌎 El Niño can have a major impact on winter weather conditions, and with a major El Niño coming, impacts could be felt nationwide.
MyRadar’s @US_Stormwatch has the forecast on how much (or how little) snow you’ll see this winter. pic.twitter.com/LHS7OxjZD0
— MyRadar Weather (@MyRadarWX) October 5, 2023
As for winter, we should probably expect things to be a lot wetter than normal, particularly in the southern U.S. Thunderstorms and other severe weather may also dominate the deep south and southeast.