American Gas - December 2011 - (Page 5)

industrynews PEOPLE TRENDS EVENTS North Central United States Should Expect Colder-than-Normal Winter LA NIÑA EFFECTS will inﬂuence the weather throughout the country this winter, the National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center (CPC) and private forecasting service AccuWeather.com agreed, with both services predicting below-normal temperatures in the North Central states. e CPC said that for December 2011 through February 2012, temperatures will be below normal from the Great Lakes westward to eastern Montana. e Paciﬁc Coast and southern Alaska will also have below-normal temperatures, the CPC said. Near-normal winter temperatures are likely in much of the Northeast and Middle Atlantic and through the Great Plains and Rocky Mountain region, the CPC said, while above-normal temperatures are expected across the South and in Texas. Above-average precipitation, the CPC said, is indicated for portions of the Paciﬁc Northwest and Northern Rockies and areas of the Ohio Valley and Great Lakes, while below-average precipitation is likely in much of the Southern Tier and in portions of east-central Alaska. AccuWeather.com’s forecast stressed the likelihood of a rough winter in terms of both snow and cold temperatures in Chicago and other parts of the Midwest. “ e brunt of the winter season, especially when dealing with cold, will be over the North Central United States,” said Paul Pastelok, leader of the AccuWeather.com Long-Range Forecasting Team. e service said that the jet stream’s expected position during this winter’s La Niña will tend to drive storms through the Midwest and Great Lakes rather than along the Northeast coast, as was the case last winter. For this reason, AccuWeather said, New York WEATHER FORECASTERS and other cities in the Northeast will probably be spared the severe weather they experienced last year although a few snow and ice storms could still cause problems in the region. Ice storms could also be troublesome from the Southern Plains to the southern Appalachians, the private service said. AccuWeather also predicted an early and heavy lake-effect snow season in northwestern Pennsylvania and western New York. www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/predictions/long_range/lead03/off03_temp.gif www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/predictions/long_range/lead03/off03_prcp.gif www.accuweather.com/blogs/news/story/55890/accuweathercom-winter-20112012.asp DECEMBER 2011/JANUARY 2012 AMERICAN GAS 5 http://www.AccuWeather.com http://www.Weather.com http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/predictions/long_range/lead03/off03_temp.gif http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/predictions/long_range/lead03/off03_prcp.gif http://www.accuweather.com/blogs/news/story/55890/accuweathercom-winter-20112012.asp

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of American Gas - December 2011

American Gas - December 2011
Contents
President’s Message
In the News
Safety First
Ask AGA
Future Ready
At Your Service
Places to Be
Noteworthies
Jobline
Marketplace
Advertisers’ Index
Facts on Gas

American Gas - December 2011