Winter Outlook: Colder, Wetter in North, Warmer in South

The winter weather outlook is colder and wetter than normal up north and warmer and drier down south, say federal forecasters.

As for the nation's middle belt, the winter should be typical, but one or two nasty storms or cold snaps could appear, reported The Associated Press.

The forecast reflects the arrival of the global weather pattern known as La Nina.

California probably won't get relief from its drought. National Weather Service drought expert David Miskus said California's winter will likely stay dry and it will probably be "many, many years" before the drought is busted.

Private weather forecasters agreed the California wet season will come up short. But they see a harsher winter for the nation overall, including a return of the dreaded polar vortex, which funnels cold Arctic air into the U.S.

Here's NOAA's take on precipitation, temperature and drought:

Precipitation: Wetter than normal conditions are most likely in the northern Rockies, around the Great Lakes, in Hawaii and in western Alaska. Drier than normal conditions are most likely across the entire southern U.S. and southern Alaska.

Temperature: Warmer than normal conditions are most likely across the southern U.S., extending northward through the central Rockies, in Hawaii, in western and northern Alaska and in northern New England. Cooler conditions are most likely across the northern tier from Montana to western Michigan. The rest of the country falls into the “equal chance” category, meaning that there is not a strong enough climate signal in these areas to shift the odds, so they have an equal chance for above-, near-, or below-normal temperatures and/or precipitation.

Drought will likely persist through the winter in many regions currently experiencing drought, including much of California and the Southwest. Drought is expected to persist and spread in the southeastern U.S. and develop in the southern Plains. New England will see a mixed bag, with improvement in the western parts and persistence to the east. Drought improvement is anticipated in northern California, the northern Rockies, the northern Plains and parts of the Ohio Valley.

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