Winter Outlooks Gone Wild

A flurry of winter outlooks have been released by meteorologists who participate in the EasternUSWx.com forums and elsewhere over the last week. For the D.C. metro area, most of them call for a cold December followed by average to above average temperatures in January and February. And most of them predict average to above average winter precipitation and/or snow. Interestingly, these outlooks are broadly consistent with several other outlooks we've already written about.

As some of these outlooks can get kind of technical and sifting through them is time-consuming (but the ambitious can learn a lot by reading them), allow me to provide a brief summary of each

Keep reading for the winter outlook summaries. See our full forecast through the weekend.

Outlooks from Meteorologists Posting on the EasternUSWX.com forums

*Meteorologist RaleighWx is calling for 21" of snow for the winter at Reagan National Airport (DCA) -- about 5" above average. He's thinks we'll have a cold December followed by a relatively mild January and February. He expects the winter, on the whole, to be slightly milder than average.

*Meteorologist HM predicts a cold December followed by a relatively mild January and February -- resulting in winter temperatures slightly above average overall. He forecasts slightly below average snowfall.

*Forecaster StormChaserChuck goes against the grain a bit, calling for above average temperatures all winter long and below average precipitation and snow.

Outlooks from Other Meteorologists

*Meteorologist Larry Cosgrove, whose winter outlook is available at NowPublic.com, expects a very cold December, and a cold January and February. He does not breakdown precipitation by month, but suggests there is a heavy snowstorm threat for the mid-Atlantic and Northeast. Quoting his outlook: "A strong case is made for abundant precipitation, much of it frozen, over the Old South, Appalachia, the Great Lakes and the Eastern Seaboard."

*Meteorologist Justin Berk, on his new weather blog for the Baltimore Examiner, writes he believes that "we [Baltimore] are in for a cold and stormy winter." He doesn't provide specifics but indicates he'll provide more details in the coming weeks.

With temperatures forecast to go above 70 today, it may seem strange to be talking about snow. But remember in three of the past five years, we've had accumulating snow between December 5 and 7 -- which is just a month away...

The Capital Weather Gang will release its winter outlook the week of 11/17.