Skiers and snowboarders scan for signs each year as fall spins into winter to glean some inkling of what lies ahead. Will winter bring cold and snow, warm rain, or some combination of these to the Upper Midwest, including Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan, and Illinois? Will the timing of cold arctic air masses moving into the region from Central Canada match up with the arrival of moisture moving up from the south or west in such a way that snow results?

So what can the region expect this coming winter, according to the Lords of Climate at the National Weather Service? Short and sweet: The NWS long-range forecast for the Upper Midwest for December, January, and February predicts above normal temperatures, and an equal chance for above, normal, and below-normal precipitation.

One thing the region can generally count on is cold, so an above-average season there might be considered darn cold elsewhere in the nation. Annual average snowfall amounts tend to be uniformly on the high side. Chicago averages 38 inches; Green Bay and Milwaukee, Wisc., average 46 inches; Minneapolis-St. Paul averages 49 inches, Duluth averages 78 inches, and Marquette, Mich., averages 129 inches.



