National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
meteorologists predict winter 2005-06 will be warmer than the
30-year norm, but cooler than last year. NOAA's heating-degree
day forecast for December to February projects a 0.7% warmer
winter than the 30-year norm, but 6.5% cooler than last year.
Thus, folks can expect more cooler days this winter on average
than last.  The outlook calls for warmer-than-average temps for
much of the central and western U.S. The Midwest, the
Mississippi Valley, the Southern California coast and the East
Coast have equal chances of above-, near- or below-normal temps.
Precipitation-wise, NOAA sees wetter-than-average conditions
across most of Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, northeast Texas,
Hawaii and northwest Alaska. The remainder of the U.S. has equal
chances of above-, near- or below-normal precipitation.  An
equal chance, either for temperature or precipitation, is
predicted when there's no strong or consistent climate signal
for either above- or below-normal conditio