Here is a look at the long range forecast for the winter of 2013 by accuweather.com

Following a snow drought during winter 2011-2012, the mid-Atlantic and southern New England will get a snow dump this winter.

Above-normal snowfall is forecast for the major I-95 cities, including New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington, D.C., during winter 2012-2013.

City
Normal Snowfall
Amount
New York City
25.1 inches
Philadelphia
22.8 inches
Baltimore
20.2 inches
Washington, D.C.
14.6 inches

Normal snowfall amounts from the National Weather Service.

Factors Behind the Above-Normal Snow Forecast

The presence of El Ni̱o or La Ni̱a Рand their strength Рis used to project how active the winter season is going to be. AccuWeather.com Long-Range meteorologists are projecting a weak to moderate El Ni̱o by the fall.

An El Niño pattern is classified by above-normal water temperatures in the central and equatorial Pacific Ocean. Warming the ocean water in turn warms the air above the Pacific, causing weather patterns to change globally.

El Niño winters feature a strong southern branch of the jet stream across the U.S. When the strong southern jet stream phases with the northern branch of the jet stream (see graphic below), big storms can impact the East.

It should be noted that no two El Niños are the same. The strength of this phenomenon can mean a great deal for winter weather.

Furthermore, there are other factors that influence snowfall amounts for the winter. Enough cold air must meet with big East Coast storms for snow to fall in the I-95 corridor.

Read more HERE- accuweather.com

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