BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — After a brutal winter last year that saw 133.3 inches of snow fall on the Buffalo metro area - one of the top five snowiest on record - Western New York could be in line for a welcome break from Mother Nature.
El Niño is forecast to strengthen this winter and become strong. This happens when the waters in the eastern Pacific are much warmer than normal. A stronger El Niño will change global weather patterns and make the impact more likely for Western New York.
During a strong El Niño, the jet stream becomes more zonal. A zonal jet stream will move air in the upper levels of the atmosphere across the United States in a west-to-east flow. This flow of air will keep the colder air in Canada bottled up for most of the winter. This will keep temperatures for our area above normal with below normal snow expected.
Buffalo normally receives about 95 inches of snow per winter season. The 2015-2016 winter season was our last strong El Niño, when we received only 33 inches of snow. During 2015-2016, there were nine lake effect snow events, which is one less than our normal of 10.
With a strengthening El Niño, expect our winter season to start much later this season. And don't be surprised if Lake Erie does not freeze over. After last year's unforgettable winter, that's an outlook that many Western New Yorkers are sure to welcome.
