Here's What Winter In Minnesota Is Predicted To Look Like This Year

Winter is swiftly approaching, and that means something different for every state.

Even the regions with the most predictable of winters sometimes experience an unusual weather phenomenon, and this year is no different.

According to the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration's annual winter predictions release, Minnesotans located in the western half of the state could experience below normal temperatures, and Minnesotans located in the eastern half of the state could see above average precipitation this winter.

Jon Gottschalck, NOAA's chief of the Operational Prediction Branch of the Climate Prediction Center, revealed that a La Niña would emerge this winter, increasing precipitation in some U.S. regions while drought conditions would persist in areas that experienced dryer weather patterns last spring.

“This winter, an emerging La Nina is anticipated to influence the upcoming winter patterns, especially our precipitation predictions. Unfortunately, after a brief period in the spring of 2024 with minimal drought conditions across the country, more than a quarter of the land mass in the continental U.S. is currently in at least a moderate drought. And the winter precipitation outlook does not bode well for widespread relief."

View the NOAA's official temperature and precipitation maps for winter 2024 below and see what the administration had to say about a recent update to their weather prediction tools via NOAA.gov.