This winter could become the coldest on record for the United States as a whole. AccuWeather long-range forecaster Joe Bastardi feels a strong La Nina will bring us even colder winters during the next few years.
We are familiar with El Nino being surface temperatures of the Pacific Ocean are warmer than normal. La Nina is the surface seas temperature being below normal. This one degree change is a large influence on weather patterns around the globe.
Usually the first winter of a La Nina period is warm followed by colder winters. Bastardi says never before have colder-than-normal conditions been observed across the Southern U. S. during the first year of La Nina. The current La Nina has started cold which indicates that the next winter will be even colder. This could be the trend for the next 3 to 5 years.
Bastardi points out that being in the middle of a recession and having the price of oil in question, the cold extremes will increase financial hardship for Americans. Higher heating bills may be in our future.
