BY STEVE KEMME
The Cincinnati Enquirer
This winter, umbrellas will be more useful than snow boots.
In Greater Cincinnati and throughout most of the nation, the winter will be a little warmer and wetter than normal, weather experts say.
"It's almost certain that you'll have more rain in Cincinnati than usual," said Jim Wagner, senior forecaster at the Climate Prediction Center of the National Centers for Environmental Predictions in Camp Springs, Md.
He also expects an average snowfall, which is about 24 inches, according to the National Weather Service in Wilmington. The Greater Cincinnati area received 31.4 inches last winter.
This winter, the country will be under the sway of La Nina, the "sibling" weather pattern that is the climatic opposite of El Nino, which last year brought fierce storms to some parts of the United States.
La Nina conditions occur when the polar jet stream is stronger than the sub-tropical jet stream. With El Nino, the sub-tropical jet stream is stronger than the polar jet stream.
As a result of La Nina, most of the country - including the Ohio Valley - will have a milder than normal winter.
The northern extremities of the nation, such as North Dakota and northern Minnesota, will experience a colder, fiercer winter than normal.
Wetter than normal conditions are expected in the northern half of the country, including the Ohio Valley. But the milder temperatures will be more rain than snow.
With La Nina, temperatures vary more than with El Nino. So Greater Cincinnati probably will experience at least a brief period of extremely cold weather this winter.
"There's a potential for that cold air over Canada to penetrate into the United States," Mr. Wagner said.
During cold periods, of course, the risk of snow is at its greatest.
