with Meteorologist Lisa Green of Valley News Live

Lisa Green, Meteorologist, Valley News Live

I grew up in a special part of the county called the “Snowbelt.”   If you’ve ever lived downwind from one of the Great Lakes you know exactly what I’m talking about.   It is ingrained in us snowbelters to recognize that when the wind turns northwesterly in the wintertime, we’re going to get dumped on.  This always brought two very happy thoughts to my mind:  “Snow Day!” and “Where’s the sled?”  Sadly, the snow days were very few and far between; places that are used to snow are also efficient at getting rid of it.  But that didn’t mean I couldn’t build a snow fort as soon as I hopped off the bus.

Winter and I don’t really get along, but I have always loved snow.  It somehow makes those cold days bearable, even fun.  And now that I live in one of the coldest parts of the country, it has become that much more important.  If I have to sit in an ice block of a car waiting for it to warm to a temperature where molecules start to move again, I would rather see a winter wonderland out of my frosty windshield.

The fact that I’m a meteorologist is both a blessing and a curse in the days marching toward winter.  It means I have the inside scoop on what’s to come:  Good for planning, bad for peace of mind.  This fall, our climate has done a 180º.  We’ve flipped from an El Nino to a strong La Nina.  It’s not always the case, but La Nina brings with it the threat for more frequent cold snaps in the Upper Midwest.  For a region that already boasts it is home to the “Nation’s Icebox,” the idea of a cold snap strikes a cold shiver down the spines of us not-so-hardy folk.

But here’s the good news for some of us: La Nina tends to increase the likelihood of extreme precipitation events in the winter.  According to data from the National Weather Service the statistical likelihood for a major snowstorm in any given winter season is 50/50. During La Niña winters, the threat is more than doubled.  As with anything in weather, there’s no guarantee, but the thought of a White Christmas (with just a touch less wind this time) makes me feel at home.

Maybe I’ll buy a sled this year.