As we continue to approach the winter season, one state official gives his predictions of what we might be seeing.

State Climatologist Justin Glisan says Iowa is going to be seeing an El Nino weather pattern this winter season, which hasn’t happened since 2019. He explains what that means.

“So in typical El Nino years, the polar jet stays further north and the tropical jet stays flat and further south, and we’re right in the middle of that. Hence the possibilities of warmer temperatures.”     

Glisan points out that in the 30 year trend, we are on pace to see a wetter winter season, but with less snow.

“So what that generally means in terms of precipitation is the potential for unseasonably less snow than what we would seasonably see, but higher chances of rainfall or that wintry mix.”

Glisan adds the last three El Nino seasons were in 2010, when there were warmer than normal temperatures, 2016 was a big year for warmer temperature and a wetter season, and 2019 was the third wettest and eighth snowest December-February.